Something Unexpected
by ForeverVying
Summary: When L returns to Wammy's House after a case in Switzerland, all he wanted was to have some peace and solitude. What he found, however, was something unexpected that would turn his world ... right side up.  Takes place before and after the Kira case LxOC.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey Cece, it's almost time. L and Mr. Wammy are going to arrive in about eight minutes, so if you want to meet him, you should hurry up and get yourself looking more ... presentable," a copper-headed teenager drawled from the doorway into a girl's room.

"Thanks, Matt. I'll meet you downstairs by the grand entrance in a moment. And if you're wondering if I picked up on that subtle but snide remark about my appearance, I did, so I highly suggest you get out of my room before I find something to hurl at your head," a girl who must have been Cece responded.

As Matt left the room, Cece swore she heard Matt mutter "Women ..."

Once he had left, Cece looked in the mirror surrounded by dark wood that hung on her wall in her room. It was furnished by Cece herself, with neutral green walls, white molding, a dark wood bed frame, a large white bookcase that took up one whole wall, and some armchairs that were placed near the windows. Despite her unruly appearance, she found herself to be smiling. Cece, whose full name was Cecelia, had found herself living at Wammy's House, an orphanage specially built for kids or teenagers that were exceptionally smart, whose intelligence surpassed even the highest ranking officials in the world. They were geniuses, and Cece was one of the lucky few that Wammy's House decided to bring in to their small family. She had just been accepted at the orphanage a year and a half ago, and since then, her life had improved drastically.

Cece was constantly bullied at other orphanages and at school because of her intelligence. The kids constantly laughed at her, pointed at her as if she was a freak. They whispered when she walked past groups of people, calling her a "know-it-all" and referred to her not by her name, but as "the girl who doesn't have parents." Sure, she knew there were other orphans like her, others who endured the same treatment as her, but being bullied from an extremely young age to her late teens wasn't exactly a confidence booster. To add to her list of problems, she had nobody to talk to. Her parents had died when she was just a baby so she had no recollection of them at all, and people, including teachers and even strangers on the street, avoided her like the was the walking version of the Black Plague.

All that changed when she was informed she was to be transferred to Wammy's House. At the time, Cece just thought she was moving in to another orphanage to be faced with the same problems she already had. However, she was utterly and completely incorrect, and it delighted her to no end. A black Rolls Royce had picked her up from her old orphanage and had driven her through rolling green hills of England, past pastures full of grazing cattle until she had finally reached what looked like a mansion perched on top of a small hill. It had been surrounded by luscious green lawns that stretched in every direction, and it gave Cece the impression that she was stepping into the house of the highest royal official in England (which would, of course, be her Majesty). Cece was greeted by a man in his mid-50s. His name was Mr. Rogers, and he was a kind gentleman, leading her into his office. There, he provided her with all the information on the orphanage- from its extremely smart residents to the man who decided to accept her in to her new family. He was referred to as Mr. Wammy by the residents of the house- Cece was forever in his debt and promised to herself that she would thank him profusely when she finally met him.

It did not take long for Cece to become settled in to her new environment. The people here were like her, like mini Einsteins. The residents of Wammy's House ranged from toddlers to adults, Cece being one of oldest occupants. She was 19 when she was first admitted, and she had quickly befriended all of the residents. However, her two best friends - brothers in all sense except for blood - were two 17 year old boys named Matt and Mello. Matt was much easier to befriend, he just seemed to be much more open to everyone. The boy found comfort in Cece's humor, her almost motherly care for him and how she was the only person who he could talk to if he was feeling down. The boy was odd though, she had to admit. His entire closet consisted of two pairs of goggles (one as a spare in case he lost his first one), horizontally striped long sleeved shirts, jeans, a pair of boots, and a vest. He was rarely seen without a cigarette in hand, although Cece yelled at him on more than one occasion to lose the vile habit.

Mello was completely different. He was Matt's other best friend, one who he counted as a brother. Mello took an immediate dislike to Cece, glaring at her through eyes filled with malice. He was always found clothed in leather and, dare she say it, tight jeans. He sported a girlish looking bob-cut, which made people question his gender. Make no mistake though; he was every inch a male. Mello was more reserved and was quieter than Matt, but when someone got him talking, boy, he talked. It seemed as though profanity was used in every sentence, something that Cece scolded him about constantly. However, she finally earned his trust and became a sister to him. This was Cece's strength- she was a manipulator to be quite frank. She was able to earn someone's trust quickly, break through the wall that people usually built around themselves. Her low self confidence and fear of being bullied kept her from using her strength when she was a child.

Everyone at Wammy's House welcomed her with open arms. They were a happy bunch, and the moment she walked out of Mr. Roger's office, she was bombarded with questions about where she came from and what her name was. She found herself being pulled along the halls of the orphanage with enthusiastic little girls going through each and every room and introducing her to every single person they encountered. It was a welcomed feeling, finally being in a family, being treated like you were everyone's equal. They took care of her, spoiled her even. If Cece wanted something, they gave it to her (although they would ask her the reason for it first). No worries though, she normally just requested a new book for some crazy night reading.

If Cece was not found in the library, or in the kitchen where she spent a good four hours everyday with Matt and Mello scavenging for some leftover food, she was found in her room sitting on her swivel chair facing the computer. She was a detective now, but not one that was as famous or as good as L. She mostly worked on cases in England, and very rarely worked on international cases. Lately, however, she was receiving more and more cases internationally, which helped boost her fame. The feeling of solving cases was exhilarating to her- she was presented with millions upon millions of puzzle pieces and had to weed out the fake trails the criminals would leave behind. She had to add puzzle pieces from the background research she conducted on suspects and piece the whole puzzle together in order to solve the case. The feeling when she finished was one that could never be paralleled- if she could just help one person, one person in the entire world from suffering, she was happy.  
><em><br>Crap, I just wasted three minutes talking to myself_... Cece was jolted back to reality and found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. _Agh, Matt was right, I look like I just had a hangover_. Her brown eyes looked at her usually neat and shiny brown hair that was currently a tangled mess, her clothes were all rumpled, and she needed to wake up from her sleep-induced stupor. The girl quickly washed her face, and attempted to tame her wild hair which proved to be unsuccessful. Instead, she just opted for a high ponytail, and she put on a nice pair of dark wash straight jeans, a dark red and white striped cardigan, a round-necked white t-shirt underneath, and a nice pair of white flats.

"Matt, are Mr. Wammy and L here yet?" Cece asked the teen as she stepped next to him near the door. "No, they aren't, but they're bound to arrive any minute," Matt responded. Cece looked at the boy beside her. He was third in line to be the successor to L, while Mello and another boy named Near were second in line. Cece was first in line to be successor to L in case, god forbid, something happened to him during one of his missions. She found this extremely surprising when she first heard that she would be the immediate successor since she was only a resident of Wammy's House for a short amount of time compared to others. However, she had been told that due to her quick deductive skills and her natural gift of being a manipulator, it made her the ideal choice. Cece still found it a bit odd, but decided not to question Mr. Roger any more.

"So … where's Mello, Matt?" Cece asked the goggled boy.

"You know him, probably yelling at Near for leaving a firetruck or space robot outside his door or something," Matt snickered.

"… Do you think it would be a good idea to steal Mello's stash of chocolate bars?"

"Cece, are you crazy? The guy would probably throw a fit and end up burning your entire room. Not to mention he would probably beat me to a bloody pulp. Since when have you been a rulebreaker?"

"Oh you know … thought I would have a little laugh …"

Matt smiled down at me and mussed my hair. "I know that you would find it quite funny initially, but I don't think you would particularly enjoy being punched in the face."

"Are you implying I can't hold myself in a fight?"

"No, no, of course not Mommy Dearest," he said while pointedly avoiding Cece's gaze. "Oh hey, look, Mel's here."

The blonde walked – no, _sauntered_ – his way towards us. Cece could not help but let a giggle escape her lips and covered her mouth with her hands. Matt's corner of his lips even came up a little in a more successful attempt to stop his snigger. Mello shot them a glare and muttered under his breath, "A big band of hooligans, they are."

More and more of the residents of Wammy's House started to come down to the entrance hall to wait for Mr. Wammy and L. It was always polite to welcome anybody who had come back after an important case, and everyone was dying to see L again. In fact, L and Wammy had been gone for almost two years working on a case in Switzerland. That would mean that Cece had never met L before. The low rumble of a car could be heard snaking up the pathway to the orphanage, and suddenly, the residents of Wammy's House were found cramming their way through the door to wait outside.

A black Rolls Royce pulled in right in front of the door where the residents of the orphanage stood waiting. Cece felt a tingle of anticipation as the driver's door opened to reveal a man who seemed to be 70 years old. Cece assumed this man to be Mr. Wammy. He was dressed impeccably in a three piece suit. He had white hair and a little mustache above his mouth. Cece thought he seemed like a strict man with many rules that everyone had to obey. However, she knew this not to be the case, since everyone assured her that he was as kind and gentle as anyone could be.

He walked over to the backseat and opened it for the occupant inside. Cece took in the young man's appearance as he stepped out of the car, from his tattered old tennis shoes, baggy blue jeans, and loose fitting white shirt, to his face. He was the exact opposite of Mr. Wammy, appearance wise! He had messy black hair that seemed to stick in all directions, and he proceeded to look around at everyone assembled before him. His coal black eyes took in everyone's face and his gaze finally landed on Cece who took in a deep breath as those eyes seemed to inspect and scan her.

The man standing before her had to be L.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

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><p>The man standing before her had to be L.<p>

Mr. Wammy leaned in to the younger man's ear, whispering something to L. The raven-haired man nodded his understanding, and slowly slouched his way into Wammy's House, keeping his hands fisted deep in his pockets. The fact did not go unnoticed to Cece that he did not acknowledge anyone on his way to the door. Mr. Wammy, however, was much more pleasant. He embraced everyone on his way to the door, before finally stopping at the teenage girl before him. "Why, you must be Cecelia! It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Please, follow me inside, I have to make myself more familiar with you!" he beamed down at her.

"Mr. Wammy, it is an honor to meet you. The pleasure is mine," the girl replied.

She whispered her goodbyes to Matt and Mello as she made her way inside. Cece followed the elderly man to his office, a room that she had never entered before. It was luxuriously furnished, with a large mahogany desk at one side of the room. Two chairs were placed in front of the desk, a lush carpet with an ornate golden and red print lay on the floor, and a roaring fire was crackling merrily away at a large stone fireplace. "Please, sit down," the man gestured as he made his way to his desk.

"Thank you, sir."

"So, tell me Cecelia, how are you finding Wammy's? I hope it is to your liking, and nobody is giving you any problems?" Mr. Wammy asked as he peered at her over the rim of his glasses.

"Oh, it's absolutely wonderful! A much better improvement than my previous orphanage, I have to say. Nobody's been giving me a hard time, they're all really so welcoming. You must have raised them the right way, sir! In fact, Matt and Mello are my best friends, and the people here are very kind. They're all really like my family."

The man smiled kindly at her, his eyes slightly twinkling. "Well, that is very nice to hear, although those two are quite troublesome. Great minds though, very intelligent. As you probably know, I am quite aware that this is my first time meeting you. Is there any questions that you would like me to answer? Anything you are unsure about?"

Cece thought this over in her head. Was there anything that she wanted to find out, anything that she was curious about? "Mr. Wammy, I already asked this question to Mr. Rogers, but the response I got in return was just not enough. What I am curious about is … is why I got chosen as successor instead of Mello or Near, who have had much more training and education here at Wammy's than me."

"Ah, Cecelia, I am afraid I will have to give you an indirect answer. Some things are just meant to be, whether it seems like the right thing to do is another question altogether. Sometimes, you just have to," he paused for dramatic emphasis, "give it a nice push."

Cece stared at him for a good ten seconds, observing his every facial expression, from his very twinkling eyes to his kind smile one would receive from a grandfather. She could find absolutely nothing that would help her understand that cryptic answer to her question. _Why won't they answer my question? It's not even a hard one! Some things are just meant to be? Well yeah, I know that, but __what__ is meant to be? What are they hiding from me? _

"Mr. Wammy," she said in a very serious tone, "I think you have gone completely mad."

At this, the kind man sitting in front of her let out a chuckle. "You will understand when the time comes. Any other questions you want to ask of me, Cecelia?"

"Hmm, in fact, I do. I'm sorry, this question might be a bit personal, so you do not have to answer it if you feel uncomfortable. I could not help but notice how you helped open the door for L, almost like what, and pardon me for the insensitive word, almost like what a _servant_ would do. And yet, you travel with him whenever he has to solve cases abroad, exactly what a _father_ would do. What I'm asking, Mr. Wammy, is what type of relationship exists between you and L?

He looked at Cecelia for a moment before responding. "You really are observant, my dear. My relationship with L is a very complicated one, to say the least. Sometimes, life is not just black or white- relationships are not that simple." His eyes seemed to take on a distant quality, almost like he was reliving a memory that happened years before. "L came to the orphanage twelve years ago, when he was just nine years old. I did not know why, in fact, I still do not know now, why I felt drawn to him. Maybe it was his innocence, or maybe he was just like every other Wammy's resident, but I had taken a liking to him. I trained him myself, watched him grow up before my eyes from when he was just a little boy. I watched him change as every child does when they realize, for the first time, what type of world they live in. A world full of crime, full of greed and anger. So," he looked at Cecelia then, "I suppose he is like my son."

"And what do you think you are to him?"

Mr. Wammy mulled this over in his head. "I don't know, Cecelia. L is a very complex person with a very complex mind. Things have happened in his childhood that has shaped him into the man he is today, and those things had formed the base of our somewhat scrambled relationship."

"What things, Mr. Wammy?" Cece asked, all the while being aware of how tense the room became.

"Things that I cannot tell anyone, things that you will have to ask L himself. And this brings me to the very important point that I want to discuss with you. I know this might be a hard task, but I want you to try to get to know him better. L is a very reserved figure, doesn't really like to converse with anyone. I assure you though; he is a very kind man. I think that it would be nice if you tried to be his friend."

"Of course, Mr. Wammy. He _is_ a very interesting person and I would love to know him more. It can't be _that_ hard a task."

"You might be mistaken, my dear. You should go now, dinner is being prepared."

Cece thanked him very much, and quietly made her exit, pondering what the elderly man meant exactly by saying that befriending L would be difficult ...

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><p>"Cece, what took you so long? We've been looking for you for <em>ages<em>," Matt said, gesturing to Mello who was sitting next to him. The blond looked at Cece with cold eyes, snapping off a piece of chocolate with his teeth in the process.

"Sorry Matt, I had to talk to Mr. Wammy about some important things," the girl replied.

"Did he mention anything about L?" Mello asked in a quiet voice.

Before Cece could answer, the door to the dining room opened, and L himself slouched in, dragging his bare feet on the hardwood floor. He stopped at the head of the table, looking for an available seat at the already much too crowded table. Cece thought she saw a flicker of annoyance cross his facial features when he realized that the only seat available was the one right across from the brown-haired teen, but she remained unfazed. Cece took note of his every movement, from the way he walked, to the way he "sat" (she used the term loosely). L did not sit the way most people sat- he pulled his knees up and crouched on his chair. He finally brought his black eyes to meet those of Cece's, who was observing him with the utmost interest.

L held her gaze, returning it with a more intense stare, one that usually got people squirming in their seats, thinking to themselves "_what is wrong with this guy?_" Cece did not even flinch in the slightest. Instead, she slowly opened her mouth and spoke clearly to him, "Hello, my name is Cecelia. You must be L. It is my pleasure to meet you." She held out her arm, hoping to get a handshake in return. When L had not made any movement for a prolonged period of time, she slowly lowered it. _I understand what Mr. Wammy meant now. He's not very into formalities, is he?_ she thought. L's eyes had widened just a tiny bit, and he was a bit taken aback. _Who was this girl? Why was she talking to him? Why didn't she seem the least bit intimidated?_He did not let any of his confusion show on his face though, maintaining the blank expression that had so successfully fooled many others. Instead, he slowly and deliberately brought his thumb to his lip, gnawing it with his teeth. "Extraordinary," he murmured softly. The word left his mouth almost like it was being carried by the wind- it was soft, but with a sense of authority that demanded attention. The girl he was talking to simply nodded.

Matt's growling stomach broke the tension that had filled the atmosphere. "Ugh, when are they serving dinner, I'm positively starving," he complained with a pout that did not suit his face very well. He proceeded to pull out his Nintendo DS, grumbling all the while to himself. Mello turned his attention back to L, speaking to him in his low voice. "It's nice to see you again L."

"Mello," the detective replied, turning his gaze over to the blond teenager who sat beside Matt as an acknowledgment to his greeting.

Just then, a booming voice filled the large and ornate dining room. "Dinner is served!" sang a chubby woman, waltzing her way in with three large pans filled with the evening's main course. She placed each of them on the long table at even intervals, the mouthwatering smell of her cooking filling the room. "Thank you, Madam Perdue!" Matt chorused in appreciation, the food clearly lifting his spirits. He turned off his DS, and eagerly pick up his fork and plunged it right into his pork chop, bringing it onto his plate. Cece noted wryly that he ignored the broccoli that was also on the pan. Without further ado, Matt brought the pork chop to his mouth and took a huge bite out of it, closing his eyes as he savored the taste.

"Fucking pig. You eat like a Neanderthal," Mello commented, his face a mixture between amusement and disgust as he watched his best friend eat.

"Dun 'ate, dun 'ate," the copper-headed boy replied through a mouthful of food.

As Cece ate her food in a more civilized manner, she noticed that L did not touch anything. He remained crouched in his chair, observing everyone else, his eyes darting along the table. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" Cece questioned. L simply shook his head in response. The girl merely shrugged, deciding that she would find a way to befriend him some other time. After the clattering of knives and forks had died down, Madam Perdue waltzed back in, this time with trays upon trays of dessert. L's and Mello's faces lit up when they saw a delicious chocolate cake, tiramisu cake, chocolate pudding, strawberry short cake, apple pie, and a large assortment of fruits that ranged from strawberries to bananas. Madam Perdue sure left everyone well fed!

Cece watched on in amazement as L devoured plate after plate of cake, occasionally picking up a strawberry and stuffing it into his mouth. It was not his table manners that astounded her- it was the almost impossibly fast rate he ate everything. He left his seat and returned not a moment later, a cup of coffee in one hand and what seemed like twenty packs of sugar in the other. He poured all of them into his coffee, stirring it with a little spoon. The amount of sugar he had eaten should have made him extremely obese, and yet, he remained skinny, looking like a healthy twenty one-year-old (except for his large dark bags under his eyes which she assumed came from his lack of sleep due to his abnormally large intake of sugar). "How do you stay so skinny?" Cece blurted out, unable to contain her curiosity. He looked at her for a few seconds, pondering how to answer her. "If you use your head, you won't get fat even if you eat sweets," he finally said tonelessly. Cece looked at him in utter amazement before a small laugh escaped from her lips. It was a funny comment, especially coming from someone who maintained such a straight face while saying it.

Cece finished her dinner and dessert, chatting animatedly with Matt and Mello for the remainder of the meal. She bid them goodbye at their room, and was walking to her own room when she saw Mr. Wammy walking towards her. "Good evening, Mr. Wammy," she said politely. "Ah, Cece, just the person I wanted to see! I'm sorry I didn't mention this before, but I forgot. L is working on a case tomorrow involving a murder in New York City, so would you be so kind as to help him out?" Cece frowned at him- she was fairly certain L did not need any help with solving cases, but she knew that it would serve as a prime opportunity to get to know him better. "Of course, Mr. Wammy. Will he be working in his room, or in the Pod?" The "Pod" that Cece was referring to was a room fully equipped with highly advanced computers that only the orphanage and the most important agencies (meaning the FBI, CIA, and other elite agencies) had access too. Cece loved the room, as did Matt. It was, after all, a computer geek's paradise. Other than the advanced technology that the Pod housed, there were also rows upon rows of file cabinets filled to the brim with previous cases that the residents of the orphanage had solved. You never know when evidence found in one case might prove to be useful for another one.

"He'll be working in his room. It is eight doors down from your own room."

"Thank you, Mr. Wammy. Good night."

"Good night, Cecelia."

She watched as the elderly man walked away, her head buzzing with excitement at what was coming the next day. She was going to be working with the world famous L, an opportunity that many people would kill for (well, not literally). She found it hard to fall asleep that night, but her fatigue finally got the best of her as her eyelids slowly closed and her breathing evened out, looking forward to what promised to be a _very_ interesting day.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, everyone! This is my first fanfic, so please excuse me for any errors or mistakes. I know I might seem like an amateur, so I am sorry for that! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Feel free to post any constructive criticism. <strong>

**On another note, I'm getting quite busy studying for the SAT IIs in October. Studying Biology in the summer is not a very fun thing to do, and it is really time consuming, so the updates might only happen once in a week or so. Plus, school starts next week. Sorry, everyone!**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

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><p>Cece woke up feeling groggy. She swung her arm out, and turned her body so her head could rest on it, planning on staying in bed for just five more minutes ... that is, until she slowly opened one of her eyes to check the digital clock that rested on her bedside table. The contraption that Matt had built for her as a present for her 18th birthday displayed the time at the present moment- 10:18 A.M. A fountain of expletives spewed out of her mouth as the brown haired girl positively sprinted out of bed to her bathroom. <p>

Shit, he's going to kill me! Ahh, way to make a first impression, Cece. He's not going to tolerate my lateness, is he? Shit shit shit, crap!

Cece mentally berated herself for her lateness as she quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face, pinching her cheeks to add some color to her otherwise pale complexion. She left her hair down, deciding not to do anything intricate to it, and quickly rushed back into her bedroom. The girl threw on a sweater and jeans with a pair of converse and was out the door in a flash. _He probably doesn't even care about appearance. Man I'm so screwed!_ She ran down the hallway, finally skidding to a stop in front of the room eight doors down from her own. She bit her lip, a habit of hers when she was nervous. _It's now or never_. She slowly reached her hand forward to turn the doorknob, but withdrew her hand when she realized that it was locked. Instead, she proceeded to knock on the door. The sound of rustling papers could be heard coming from the room, before the lock was unlocked and the door opened.

Cece stared at L, taking in his appearance. Nothing had changed at all- his hair was still messy, he still had the bags under his eyes, and he was wearing the same outfit that she first saw him in. He looked down at the small five foot two inch girl in front of him with his black eyes. The silence was palpable before he cleared his throat and asked her, "What are you doing here?" Cece blinked up at him in confusion. "Didn't Mr. Wammy tell you that I was supposed to help you in the case you're currently working on? The case that involved a murder in New York City?"

"Watari never mentioned that."

_Not much of a talker, eh?_"Well, since I'm here already, I might as well help you anyway!" Cece replied jovially in a brave attempt to appear friendly.

L stared at the girl as she sidestepped him and walked into his room. She took in her surroundings, looking at the desk that was propped up against the wall. It was cluttered with papers and mugshots of criminals. A computer was buzzing away, and a cup of coffee was sitting at the corner of the table, with a slice of strawberry cake to the left of it. The bed looked untouched, its pillow and blanket not creased in the slightest. "Nice room," she mumbled awkwardly.

"I don't need help with solving the case," the raven-haired man said once the girl had finished observing his room.

"Listen buddy, I know that, but Mr. Wammy wants me to help anyway. Besides, working with someone else would be a nice change!"

L observed the girl standing in front of him. _She doesn't seem like the type of person to back down ... she's persistent and stubborn. Well, if she's not going to leave, then I might as well use this to my advantage. _"You're my successor, Cecelia?"

Cece jumped at being addressed by her name. "Yes, I am," she said, with a note of authority in her voice. If she was going to be his successor, she had to appear like the type of person who would be able to take on the job.

"Very well. You may help me with the case, but I will not help you."

"You're testing me." She said this as a statement, not as a question. She should have expected this, he was L after all. He needed to see if his successor was smart enough to fill his shoes in case something happened.

L slouched over to his desk, picking up all the sheets of paper littered across its surface before neatly stacking it into a pile. He handed them to Cece. "Solve it," he said simply. Cece was taken aback by his rudeness and lack of emotion. "What are you going to do then?" she asked him cautiously.

"I already solved the case this morning. I'm going to observe you."

Cece flushed a little at his statement, but took the stack of papers from his waiting hand nonetheless. She began to read a summary of the incident as L slouched over and crouched down onto his seat. According to the report, a woman by the name of Sandra Wilkinsons was stabbed while she was taking a shower. Attached to the report was a list of suspects, the main suspect being the husband. The man was tough looking, with tattoos covering every inch of his arms and an eyebrow piercing that glinted in the picture. _That explains why authorities would think of him as the prime suspect. He sure looks like he would be capable of murder._Also attached to the report was a bag containing various CDs. "L, what are these?" she asked the detective.

"Those are surveillance videos from the day she died. They were all taken from the building she worked at."

Cece sifted through the papers, looking for some background information on Wilkinsons. She had worked at an office building in lower Manhattan. The woman was an accountant, and her business hours for the weekdays were from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Her husband was unemployed, and the report had stated that he was usually at bars drinking with his friends. His many run-ins with police due to drunken brawls proved this point.

_How can a woman like this marry a man like that? They seem like total opposites. Well, I guess opposites do attract ..._

"L, may I borrow your computer for a moment?" she asked the man. The detective nodded and moved aside. Cece played the surveillance videos on the computer and noticed something peculiar. As Ms. Wilkinsons was walking to her office, she had greeted a co-worker. Nothing suspicious about that though, right? _No, there's something strange about this._ Cece saw the way they looked at each other, how the man's arm would linger around the woman's waist after their embrace. She saw the way the man's eyes had a glint, how he stared at the woman as though she was his possession. This was most certainly not normal. _Ahh, looks like Ms. Wilkinsons is having a little affair, aren't we? Naughty, naughty woman._

Cece zoomed in, reading the nameplate on the man's suit. The name of the man-in-question turned out to be Kenneth March. "L, did the authorities send you background information on everyone working in the same office building as Sandra Wilkinsons?" she asked the detective. "As a matter of fact, they did," he replied.

"And you didn't tell me this?" Cece was starting to like L less and less.

"I wanted to see if you would have gotten this far."

_So he doubts me ... no matter, I'll show him._L produced another stack of papers from one of his drawers and handed it to her. Cece flipped through the portfolios, finally coming across the one labeled "Kenneth March." His business hours were the same as Wilkinsons. The guy was starting to look more and more suspicious by the minute. "L, could you do me a favor and run this guy's name through your computer? Check his credit card records?"

"No."

_Definitely getting on my nerves. _"No?"

"No. I told you that I wasn't going to help. You can check yourself. Just click on the icon located at the very last column at the bottom."

Cece typed the man's name into the search bar and looked through his purchases. The one that stuck out to her most was the one made on October 2nd, when he bought an engagement ring from Kays. _There's the motive. You know, this case isn't that hard. The guy proposed to Wilkinsons, but Wilkinsons probably refused, since she was still married to her husband at the time. March was jealous, and jealousy makes a person do crazy things. But that's not proof. _Cece's train of thought was cut off, however, when L slouched over to see what she was staring intently at. "You know that's not going to hold in court, right? I can see what you're thinking, that the man proposed to Wilkinsons and she refused, but that's still not enough. It still leaves room for reasonable doubt. March could walk off free if a lawyer presented this at court," he stated in a monotone.

"I know," Cece snapped through gritted teeth. L slouched back to his original seat and resumed watching her. The girl began to take out the summary of the crime scene again, and this time, she noticed that it said two types of blood were found in the shower- O positive, which belonged to the victim, and A negative, which belonged to the murderer. The brown-haired girl searched up the medical records of Kenneth March, and sure enough, the blood types were a positive match. This was just too easy, Cece had worked on much harder cases before.

"There!" she said triumphantly as she handed back all the paper to L. "Kenneth March is the man who murdered Sandra Wilkinsons."

"Correct. However, it took you fifty-two minutes to solve the case. Next time, when you solve a case that is this easy, aim for forty minutes."

Cece was fuming. Who was he to tell her that she had to do her work faster? L could sense the hostility that the girl was desperately trying to hide, but he ignored it. He was used to the feelings of anger and hostility he usually got when he was working with others. It was why he preferred to work alone on cases. "Next test," he said softly.

"There's more?"

"Oh yes, there's a lot more. Let's go to the gym, shall we?"

Without waiting for her answer, L slouched out of the room, leaving an angry and confused Cece behind. She stomped her foot on the ground like what an angry seven-year-old would do, and slowly made to follow the detective out of the door. When she arrived, L had already placed eight balls at both halves of the gym. Cece walked over and picked one up, while L made his way to his own half. The ball was not heavy, but the perfect weight to throw at something. A sly smirk made its way onto her face. "Why are we playing dodgeball, L?"

"It's for me to test your athletic ability and your reflexes. I need to see if you will be able to think and work properly while being stressed and physically tired."

Cece eyed her opponent at the other end of the court. He was skinny, and didn't look like he was the athletic kind. _This is going to be so easy._Cece dominated when it came to dodgeball. L's voice brought her back to reality, however, when he said quietly, "Heads up." The girl saw her opponent holding a ball, and with a flick of his wrist, the ball smacked into the area of wall right next to Cece's head. She stared at him wide-eyed, completely speechless. "Never," he stated, "underestimate your opponent."

_If he's going to play tough, then I'll play tough too. Let the games begin, L._ Cece picked up a ball, watching her opponent's every move. He stared at her intently, waiting for any change in expression, anything that might give away when she was going to throw the ball. He saw her forehead crease slightly, and moved quickly to the left as she threw the ball she was holding. It flew through the air where L had just been standing with a _whoosh_.

And so the two opponents threw themselves headfirst into the game, both determined not to lose. The first one that was hit would be declared loser, and there was no way Cece was losing to L without giving up a hell of a fight. Cece watched her opponent's actions, noticing how he usually dodged to the left. _He could just be doing that to fool me though. He's not stupid. He'll expect me to throw a ball a little to the left once I noticed how he moves_, she thought as she dodged a well aimed ball flying straight at her stomach. Despite the fact that L was her opponent, she had to give props to him for being quick on his feet.

L watched Cecelia carefully, and saw the wheels turning in her head as she thought of what to do. She saw her eyes harden when she came to a conclusion. _Good girl_, he thought when she threw a ball a little more to the left than she normally did before. L ducked to the right instead, and with a flick of his wrist, he threw a ball at the girl's shoulder.

_I've got him right where I want_. She was prepared when L threw the ball at her, and instead, she threw the ball with as much strength as she could muster straight at the unsuspecting detective's head. L noticed the ball hurling toward him in the nick of time, quickly stepping to the right as the ball whizzed by. _Damn it, she almost got me. Hmm, I didn't expect that. _The game continued with more ferocity, until L threw a black ball with all the strength in his body. It was too fast for Cece to dodge, and it hit her painfully in the arm.

"Next test," he said as he walked past her to the exit. Cece was sweating, her chest was heaving with the rapid breaths she was taking. However, she was still somewhat proud of herself when she saw that she at least made L physically tired as well. His breathing was rapid, and a little trickle of sweat was running down his neck. The girl was tired and angry, but she had no choice but to follow him.

The test was relatively simple this time. They would play seven games of chess, and whoever won the majority of the games was declared the winner. Playing with L was something that Cece had never experienced before. It seemed like he could read her mind, and she grew more and more frustrated as the games continued. "Checkmate," L muttered softly for the third time. L was leading three to two. Now, Cece couldn't let that happen, and her determination won her the next game. _Three to three now_she thought. L won the last set, and Cece found it incredibly difficult to restrain from punching the detective right in the face.

"That is all for today, Cecelia. Good night," he said softly as he got back up on his feet and sat back down on his chair facing away from Cecelia. "Good night," Cecelia said in a last attempt to be friendly to him. As the girl left the room, L sighed softly. He did not know what to think of her. She was driven by her emotions, not unlike Mello. But she was smart too. She could think through her emotions, think clearly when she was undergoing physical exertion and stress. L hated to admit it, but he won the game of dodgeball through his athletic "prowess" and not through strategy. If he had not noticed the ball flying at his head, he would have lost. A frown made its way onto his face as he thought back on the chess matches. She was very good, and for the first time in years, L actually had to think hard in order to win the games he won. _She does have a sharp mind ... _he mused as he turned his attention back to his computer.

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><p>"Arrogant, self-absorbed, egotistical <em>freak<em>," Cece muttered vehemently as she opened the door to the kitchen a little harder than necessary. The bang that sounded when the door made contact with the hard wall reverberated around the large space. She stomped her way to the refrigerator, still seething, and was hoping to find some leftover food from dinner. L had kept her for the whole day, and she had not eaten breakfast in the morning. A soft cough coming from the corner of the room caused Cece to jump, however, and she swiveled around to see who was in the same room with her.

"Matt!" she exclaimed when she saw a flash of copper hair. "Please don't do that again! You really scared me."

"Not my fault you're so unobservant."

The older girl sighed, microwaving a rather large chunk of lasagna before ambling over to the table to sit next to Matt. "Where's Mello, Matt?"

"He's sleeping."

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Hey, look here, you're not the only one who's allowed to have some late night escapades. Where were you today? We didn't see you at all. You weren't even at dinner."

"I was being 'tested' by the world's greatest fucking detective." Cece emphasized each word by stabbing her fork viciously into the poor lasagna.

Matt noticed the sour tone her voice had taken when she had just talked about L. She rarely cursed, except when she was incredibly angry or put under a ton of emotional stress. Now that he looked at her closely, he noticed a rather large bruise on her elbow. "What happened, Cece?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"He made me solve a case, which I did perfectly well! BUT, the stupid son-of-a-bitch said that '_next time, you should solve it in under forty minutes_,'" she said in a low voice, making a crude impression of L. "And then we played dodgeball, which he beat me at. Hence, the large bruise on my arm. And then, he made us play seven games of chess to see who would win the majority of the games. He won. Again! I mean, how arrogant can the guy be? He's so self-centered and ..."

Matt let her drone on and on, and instead of listening to her, pulled out his DS. A rather large beep that had emitted from the game he was playing finally brought Cece back from her endless ranting. "Matt!" she yelled exasperatedly. "Sorry princess, you just aren't interesting enough." The boy pocketed his DS and turned to face Cece with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "Cece, other than my never-ending list of things that I'm good at -"

Cece let out a very unladylike snort at his statement. "Like what?"

"Like being incredibly and irresistibly handsome, smart, and charming, just to name a few. Now, let me finish my sentence after your rather rude interruption. Other than being all that, I'm also able to keep a cool head. It's required when you're friends with Mels, and frankly, you get quite emotional too. L isn't arrogant, or self-centered like you claim him to be."

At this, Cece tried to cut in, but Matt stopped her. "Stop, Cece, you're letting your emotions cloud your judgment. Just because he beat you at those things does not mean that he's arrogant or self-centered. It just means that he's better at you in those activities. Does that mean he's better at you in everything else? Of course not. And you can't blame him for testing you, it comes with the job. He had to make sure his successor was up to the task, and I think you proved yourself worthy. You didn't give up like what Mels and I probably would have done. You persevered, and that's something that even L can't ignore."

Cece smiled at the boy who was sitting across from her. He had just called her out, and she realized her lack of judgment in the situation. It was true, she had let her anger cloud her judgment. "Thanks, Matt."

"Hang on, I'm not done yet. Don't think for a second that I don't know your self-esteem issues, Cece. You're not only angry at L right now, you're angry at yourself. You're berating yourself in your mind. You're mad at yourself for not being able to beat him at anything. Don't even bother denying it," he said when she saw the girl starting to shake her head. "You put on this brave facade all around you, trying to get people to believe that you don't really give a shit about anything, but you do. Now let me tell you something, Cece. You are smart, and I bet you that you could beat that motherfucker in most anything if you really set your mind to it. The guy's only human, after all. He does have to lose sometimes."

With a sigh, Cece admitted to herself that he was right. The emotions of doubt, anger, frustration, and sadness that she had experienced throughout most of her lifetime certainly did come over her as a tidal wave today. She was angry at herself for not beating L in at least one test. Her vision became blurry as tears made their way into her eyes. She gritted her teeth, willing the tears not to fall, but to her dismay, one found its way to roll down her cheek. Wordlessly, Matt handed her a tissue.

"Thanks," Cece mumbled. She quickly wiped her eyes and blew her nose, refusing to leave any trace of her moment of weakness. "No problem," Matt murmured in response to her gratitude, and his eyes softened at the girl sitting next to him. He understood that she was not just thanking him for the tissue- no; it ran much deeper than that. She was thanking him for finally forcing her to confront her fears. He truly believed that she would now be able to push those feelings away forever now, and be able to feel truly happy without any feelings of self-doubt.

A soft creek echoed through the room again, and both Cece's and Matt's heads snapped up. A small white-haired boy dressed in oversized pajamas walked in, his eyes landing on the two friends who were sitting together. "Hey Near," Cece muttered as Matt gave him a wide grin. "Hello," the small boy said in response, as he walked across the room, his eyes darting everywhere. "What're you looking for, little dude?" Matt asked.

Near was silent for a moment, wondering whether or not he should tell them his problem, before he said "I lost my robot, and I think I left it in here."

"We'll help you!" Cece exclaimed as she jumped off her seat eagerly to help the boy in his quest to find his robot. She understood how important a toy could be for someone. She, in fact, had a stuffed bear up in her room, and it was incredibly important to her. It was a gift from her parents when she was a baby and it was the only thing she had from the time she had spent with her deceased parents.

Cece and Matt slowly walked around the kitchen, ducking to look under the tables and chairs. "Hey Near, is it that object on top of the refrigerator?" the girl asked. Near glanced up and his face brightened up. "Yeah, it is." The smile was short-lived, however, when he said, "I can't reach it. Matt, get it for me."

"What?" the copper-headed boy asked.

"Please get my robot for me."

Matt looked at the boy closely. He rarely said that many words to him and Cece, let alone say please. He preferred to sit alone in a corner and play with his toys. Near must have really been distressed in order for him to ask someone for assistance. The older boy finally sighed and reached up to take the toy robot off the top of the refrigerator. "Thank you," Near said quietly. "I wonder how it got there."

"Oh you know, Madam Perdue probably spotted it lying around and placed it there to keep it out of her way," Cece replied good-naturedly. The white-haired boy walked to the door, but paused just as he was about to leave. "Thank you, again." He left without another word. "You know, he's not such a bad guy. Him and Mels would probably get along if Mels didn't hate his guts so much," Matt mused.

"Yeah, they would. Kind of weird how he said thanks twice, right?" Cece replied.

"Mhmm, he doesn't even talk to me much."

As they walked through the exit to the main corridor, Cece threw out her plate. The two walked in silence until they reached the room Matt and Mello shared together. "Goodnight Matt, I'll see you in the morning." Cece said.

"Goodnight, Cece." Matt flashed her a quick smile before closing the door behind him.

Cece settled in to her bed that night, a sense of déjà vu overcoming her as she realized she was in this exact position last night. _Maybe I did let my emotions get the better of me ... I'll apologize to him tomorrow_. And with that as her last thought, the girl drifted off into a deep slumber.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, everyone! This chapter isn't actually one that I'm particularly proud of- I thought it was kind of cheesy, but it will help lead up to something in the next chapter. I am also going to write a chapter later on (probably about 3 or 4 chapters away) dedicated to the 911 attacks. Wammy's House is going to New York City! (Yes, don't worry, I do know that there was an attack on the Pentagon as well, I just thought that NYC would be more suited for the story).  
><strong>

**Don't forget to review, guys (:**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

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><p>One day passed. Two days passed. And another, and another, until a whole week had passed. Cece was quite aware of the fact that she was avoiding L, but who could she blame? Yes, she knew she was at fault for getting mad at him when he did not deserve it, but the girl, for some inexplicable reason, just could not muster up the courage to talk to L. More times than not, she found herself standing in front of his door, but would chicken out at the last possible moment. In short, Cece viewed herself as a coward. The girl really had no idea what to do to approach this problem. Cece sighed heavily, closing her eyes as she put her head in her hands. It was eating away at her like a virus, it invaded her thoughts, and it was absolutely excruciating not knowing ... not knowing ... not knowing how to talk to a damn detective who was just a person! She could talk to other people normally, but L ... L was weird. She did not know what to say to him, and was always unnerved when he turned his piercing gaze at her. It was like he was trying to read her very soul, trying to unearth any secrets that she had.<p>

Cece slowly picked herself off of her bed, and grabbed a pea coat from her closet. It was a chilly late November day, and the cloudy sky gave her an indication that it was about to snow. Quickly pulling on a pair of boots, she walked down the staircase to the main entrance and stepped out into the open. The air was refreshing, and it cleared her mind- gave her space to think about what exactly she should do.

The girl smiled to herself. She always liked to walk outside if something was deeply troubling her. It was what helped her calm down, similar to how Matt's cigarettes helped sooth him, and how Mello's chocolate helped make Mello, well, mellow (or rather, as mellow as the boy could be). Cece slowly started walking toward her secret location, letting her body take control and her mind free to wander. 

What should I do, what should I do?

she mused to herself. She knew that she would have to control her emotions this time around, and not let them get the best of her. She knew that L was not a type of person to willingly start a conversation, nor was he the type to actually continue a conversation. He liked to keep to himself, to not talk to anybody. The brown haired girl frowned. He did not have a lot of friends, did he? Well, except for Watari, but really, there are just some things that you cannot talk to with a father-like figure.

Her feet came to a halt as she arrived at her destination. It was a lake deep in the forest that surrounded Wammy's House. Nobody ever came here, as nobody ever took the time to actually explore all the area around the institution. It really was a beautiful place- evergreen trees surrounded the lake, which, in its current state, was frozen over with ice. She slowly walked her way around the lake, shivering and biting her lip when a particularly frosty gust whipped across the area. Really, next time, she had to remember to bring a scarf and hat.

Cece stopped when she had finished walking, and stood at the exact place where she had started her little trip around the lake. The girl stepped as close to the frozen lake as possible, and looked down. Her reflection stared back at her, hair hanging down from her loose ponytail, bangs framing her face. Her face was pale, but her eyes ... the eyes reflected back at her looked so unsure. Damn that detective! She did not know what it was about him, but he just was not the average person one meets. Then again, he was L, the world's greatest detective.

She looked at the watch on her wrist, and was startled by the fact that it was already past 5:30 P.M. Where had the time gone? Cece arrived back at the orphanage twenty minutes later, her face, fingers, and toes numb from the cold. She hurried up to her room, and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a comfortable knit sweater, and made her way downstairs for dinner.

The girl shuffled her way over to where Matt and Mello were sitting, and took a seat in-between the two teenagers. Mello glanced over and did a double take. "Cece ... you look like absolute shit," the blond stated bluntly. Cece stared back levelly at him, and replied nonchalantly, "Mello, you always look like shit." Mello, who thought of himself as some sort of sex god come to Earth, felt his temper rising. Nobody disrespected him- _nobody_. His face darkened, his brows scrunched up together, and he was just about to explode and unleash all his damn fury on the person who dared to insult him when a certain redhead had to cut in.

"Chill, Mels, she was just playing around. Nobody wants to hear you yell and rant either," Matt said without looking at the blond. Th-that stupid redhead! Nobody, except for Near, could infuriate Mello more than Matt did, and what was worse was that Matt was oblivious to his temper tantrums. He never even flinched when he Mello raised his voice.

Cece ignored the two bickering teenagers sitting next to her, and tuned them out of her mind. She was anxiously awaiting the arrival of a certain raven-haired detective. He had not been to breakfast, lunch, or dinner for the past week. That meant that he had never been to meals ever since his "encounter" with Cece. Was he avoiding her? No, Cece did not think so. He probably had a lot of cases to work on, and he did not strike Cece as the type to run away from a problem.

Dinner was served with nothing extremely interesting happening. Cece made small conversation with Matt and Mello, and ate her chicken in relative silence. Dessert was served, and it turned out to be strawberry shortcake. It reminded Cece of the first time she saw L eat. The skinny detective had basically demolished four slices of the cake in a relatively short time span of ten minutes.

She did not know what caused it, but she had a sudden urge to bring a slice up to L. As she got up, Matt asked her, "Where are you going, Cece?"

"I'm going ... I'm going to see L."

And with that, she left the dining hall with one hand tightly drawn in to a fist, and the other tightly holding onto a plate with a slice of strawberry shortcake on top. The trip to L's room was short, and went by too fast- much too fast in Cece's opinion. She stood in front of the detective's door, and sighed quietly. She really just did not understand what was with L that made her so ... flustered. Was that the word? Hmm ... yes, yes it was.

She rapped on the door twice, and waited for a few tense moments before the door opened. The tall five foot eleven inch detective looked at Cece. He had not been really expecting her at all. "What is it, Cecelia?" L asked the girl standing in front of him.

"I- I noticed that you weren't at dinner and I just ... you know ... brought you a piece of cake since you seem to like it so much."

Cece shuffled her feet, but raised her head defiantly, meeting the detective's scorching gaze head on. Her confidence seemed to dissipate as soon as the detective turned that stupid gaze at her, but she would not back down. Not now, not when she made it this far. "I suppose you want to come in, then?" L asked.

Cece forced a small smile on her face, but supposed that it turned out more like a grimace. "Yeah, that would be nice." She walked inside and made herself somewhat comfortable on the bed. It was cold and hard, not warm and soft like her own bed in her room. The awkwardness hung around them, so thick that it seemed like someone could reach out and touch it. "So ... what are you working on that kept you from going to meal time for the whole week?" she asked.

"A case."

Well that was quite specific. "What's the case about?"

"A bank robbery."

"Is it a hard case?"

"No."

"Are you almost done with it?"

"Yes."

Cece felt like she could pull out her hair right then and there. It was infuriating how unresponsive the detective could be! It was obvious that she was trying to start a conversation, and L was doing everything he could to prevent one from arising. A familiar feeling of heat started to spread through her body. She was getting mad, and she was getting mad quickly. He was just so damn confusing! All his actions, everything, just pointed to someone who was an unemotional lump whose sole purpose was to solve cases. He had no life, nothing at all that might indicate that he could at least carry on a proper conversation. And Cece wanted to be his friend? It seemed like an impossible task.

Cece fished around for something to discuss, anything that might alleviate the tense atmosphere. "Is the case interesting?"

"No."

Darn, he could not even say "yes" to that question! If he had said "yes," then Cece would have at least one other question to ask him. She was really out of options now. There was nothing that she could think of that would make a somewhat decent conversation.

"L-" she began, but L cut her off.

"Why are you really here, Cecelia?"

Cece really had not expected that, which caused her to stutter like a bumbling baboon. "Wha ... what?"

"I asked, why are you really here, Cecelia?"

The girl eyed the raven cautiously. How was she supposed to answer that question? "I just wanted to know you better, and maybe try to be friends." Honesty really was the best policy, and she doubted that L would believe anything else she said.

"Friends are a distraction."

Cece did not even bother trying to be friendly anymore. Instead, she opted for a flat tone. "Care to elaborate, L?"

The detective turned to stare her straight in the eye. "Friends require feelings of mutual affection for one another. They both feel concerned for the other, they both care for each other, whether in a romantic or a platonic friendship. Those are feelings, and feelings are a distraction," he stated simply.

"So the reason why you don't want to be friends with me is because feelings are a _distraction_?" Cece's voice started to rise up a notch as she fought to control the feelings bubbling inside of her.

"Yes, you are correct."

That pushed Cece over the edge. _I'm sorry Matt, but I just can't control my emotions._"L, you are pathetic. All you care about is that stupid little detective job of yours, right? Right, L? Don't answer that question, because the answer is painfully obvious. You come along and spew some stupid stuff about how you don't want friends because they're a distraction, because feelings are a distraction. I doubt you even know how to feel! I doubt-"

"Cecelia, stop." Anyone could sense the warning in L's tone. It was cold and hard, like a steel blade. L could maintain his calm appearance for a considerably long amount of time, but sometimes, there were lines that were clearly drawn, lines that could not be crossed. Cece was becoming painfully close to crossing that line.

The girl ignored him, and barreled on, oblivious to the anger she was causing to build up in L. "You're just a stupid lump of nothing, you're devoid of anything. Devoid of emotion! You just don't care about anything, do you? You just don't love! You don't love anybody or anything!"

L saw red. Flashing, blinking, blinding red. His eyes, which had been closed the entire time Cece was talking, flew open. "You don't know anything, Cecelia! I don't know about you, but I came to Wammy's when I was nine. Nine, Cecelia, nine. I lived with my parents until I was nine. Until they died! I loved them Cecelia, I actually loved them. You have never had to feel the sadness, the hurt, the _agony_ of having people who you love, who you hold _dearly_, who you hold _so close_to your heart die. You have never, ever had to endure that! Don't think, even for one second, that I don't know how to love. There are things you won't understand, Cecelia, things you won't have to feel!"

L was practically yelling at Cece by now, not bothering to even lower his voice.

They were two feet apart, bodies rigid. L was breathing hard, trying to reign in his emotions before he did something rash. He knew he had already divulged too much information to Cecelia, a girl who he had only met a week ago. Only Watari knew how much he loved his parents. However, Cece had hit a nerve, and she did not only cross a line- she jumped over it and landed a mile in front of it. Nobody, nobody would say that L did not feel, because he did. He was brimming with emotions, he had just learned to hide them very well behind a carefully constructed mask that he had perfected over the course of his adolescence, teenage, and adult years.

Cece stared at him, and stared at him hard. His tone had been cold, and she had never heard that much emotion in him- and not just him, but everyone. His eyes though, his eyes were cold and hard. She had thought that L's eyes were black to begin with, but now ... they were so dark, like you were staring into the very depths of the universe. They were frigid, and sent a chill down her spine. It felt like a blizzard had gone through her body. But Cece could see something other than that anger and fury. She could see past L's defenses. She saw the sadness, the hurt, the agony that rested deep within L. The feelings that he tried to hide from everyone else. The feelings that he _succeeded _in hiding for so long.

Cece felt the anger slowly start to fade away from her body, replaced by something that she did not understand, nor did she want to at the moment. L was lonely because he did not want to love anymore. He did not want to love and have that person snatched away from him again. He did not want to experience the pain anymore. He was so misunderstood ... Cece misunderstood him. Hell, everyone at Wammy's misunderstood him. They did not try to unearth the real L that hid behind the mask. Instead, they were content with admiring L, the greatest detective in the world, because of his intelligence, and not the person he really was.

Cece felt guilt slowly overcome her body. How could she have accused L of something so horrendous? How could she have brought back all those painful memories of his childhood that he tried so hard to forget? How could she hurt someone so much?

"L, I- I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice quivering with the emotion she felt.

She saw L's body slump out of its previously rigid pose. He lowered his gaze and slouched back to his chair and sat down onto it in his own unique way. "It's fine," he said quietly.

Cece did not want to stay there anymore. She knew that L needed to be alone. But as she reached the door, she could not help but turn around one more time. He looked so weak, so vulnerable, so small. "L ... you can call me Cece," she murmured in a soft voice. And with that, she closed the door and walked quietly to her own room, collapsing onto her bed.

L sat, motionless, on his seat. The girl, Cece, had saw past his defenses. It was unnerving, but he could not deny that it made him feel a little ... warm inside too. It felt nice to know that someone cared, as sick as it sounded. It felt nice to know that someone cared about him other than his parents, and Watari.

The wind blew harshly outside his window. He could hear it howling in the cold night air outside. He stared as snow began to fall, one by one. They drifted to the ground ever so slowly, ever so delicately. They were so white, so pure, untainted by anything. It was so unlike him. So like Cece. He had seen too many things in his twenty-one years, things that many people his age should not have seen. He was dirty, smeared with the events of his childhood and his adolescence. Did he care anymore? He would have liked to think no, no- he did not care anymore, but he did. However, he had grown to accept it.

And despite Cece's comments, despite the onslaught of memories that had filled his brain, he could never taint something so innocent.

L reached out a hand and picked up the forgotten plate with strawberry shortcake on top. He picked up the little spoon resting on the side of the plate and took a small bite. The detective smiled. The cake tasted just a bit .. sweeter.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, everyone! <strong>

**Today's the 10****th**** anniversary of 9/11, and I would just like to pay my respects to everyone who had lost their life on that day, and I wish that everyone who has lost a family member due to the attacks will just persevere. There's always hope.**

**On another note, updates are not going to be every week now (I think) because school has started, and I already had homework on the first day of school! It was ridiculous.**

**As always, please review (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

**Author's Note: Okay guys, this one is basically just a filler chapter, with lots of fluff and descriptions of New York (because I am, well, a native New Yorker). And me, being a proud-ass New Yorker, had to somehow incorporate New York into this story.**

**Not really the most interesting chapter nor the most well written, and the next one is going to be mostly about Christmas. The chapter after that (chapter 7) is going to be a biggie. Really important stuff happening then, I have got it allll planned out.**

**Sorry for the longer-than-usual wait. However, I'm going to be quite busy until mid-October with the SAT II and PSAT. Updates will not be as frequent.**

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><p>Cece woke up, rubbing her eyes as she did so. It was a Sunday morning, so every resident at Wammy's House was probably still asleep. There were never classes on Sundays and Saturdays, which gave the younger orphans a little time to rest before they returned to their hectic schedules again. Plus, it was only a week and a half until Christmas, and classes were already canceled until January 3rd of the New Year. Needless to say, everyone was in high spirits, eagerly anticipating the fun that would happen when Christmas finally arrived. Cece would often see the kids and teenagers sitting around the television at the living room, watching endless Christmas movies. Occasionally, some of the younger kids (and even some of the more raucous older ones) would break into a Christmas carol. Cece did not have it in her heart to stop them- she was much too excited for Christmas herself.<p>

Yawning slightly, she slipped her feet into her warm and cozy slippers, and not bothering to change out of her pajamas, brushed her teeth and combed her hair. It was a beautiful day out, with the sun shining brightly over a very clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The light from the sun reflected off of the blanket of white snow, casting quite a glare that hurt her eyes. However, it was much too chilly to take a stroll outside- she preferred to stay inside where the wonderful machine called a heater made her nice and warm. Thank you, electricity! The girl splashed some water on her face, and shuffled out of her bedroom, heading toward the kitchens where she knew she would find some delectable food.

As she slowly walked down the halls, she heard the snores of the teenagers, and the silence that filled the orphanage. It was not a heavy silence though, more like a peaceful one. Cece looked out one of the clocks that hung on the wall- it read 7:52 A.M. Ahh, she was up early, it seemed. She passed by Mello and Matt's room, smiling to herself when she heard both of their snores, Mello's louder than Matt's. Those two, especially Matt, would stay up late into the night playing their video games. It was quite annoying actually, hearing the beeping sounds emitting from their room when you are trying to get a decent night's sleep.

Cece turned the doorknob into the kitchen, and saw a certain raven-haired detective sitting on a chair and eating a cake. Not a piece of cake, but a whole cake topped with powdered sugar and strawberries. "Good morning, L," she greeted. The older boy looked up at the source of sound, and muttered a "hello" in greeting as well. Cece walked over to the counter, pulled open a cabinet drawer, and was faced with a whole shelf full of different coffee flavors. There were coffees from each corner of the globe, and although some of them were not quite to her taste, it was always interesting to try them out anyway. This morning, she chose one from Singapore.

"Do you want any coffee, L?"

"No thank you, I already have some."

Cece brewed her coffee, holding it between her hands to keep them from getting too cold. Even with the heat on, it was still slightly chilly. She pulled out a seat across from L, and sat down. As she did so, however, she saw the "coffee" that L was referring to. Yeah, that was _not_a coffee, just a concoction that the detective had come up with.

"What are you going to do today, L?"

"Hmm ... I guess I'll go to the library and read some books. There aren't many cases right now, at least, none of tremendous importance that I would personally devote some time to."

"Are you excited for Christmas?"

L paused for a moment, mulling over his thoughts before he replied. "I guess I am. Watari has something special planned, but he's not telling me." His lips pulled down in a frown at that, as his thumb made its way up for his teeth to chew on. He hated it when Watari kept things from him.

"Why do you call him Watari, L?"

"Calling him Mr. Wammy would be too formal. He has taken care of me from the moment I stepped into this institution, and I guess you could say that he's been more than just a guardian."

Cece looked at him intently, wondering whether or not she should ask what she would say next. "Do you love him?"

She knew love was a sensitive topic with L, but she could not help herself. He was quite fascinating, and she would love to explore his brain if given the chance (not in a creepy way though). The detective took a sip out of his "coffee" before answering her. "It is hard not to love Watari when he has taken care of you for more than half of your life."

Cece did not push him anymore, since she knew that it would become awkward. She and L had progressed a lot since the argument, and Cece felt like she had a better understanding of him. He was very interesting, and although they were not on the friends level yet, Cece felt that they were very good acquaintances. It was good for L too, because now, he actually had someone to talk to. Someone that was not Watari. Someone that could understand him better than other people could. It made L ... happy, an emotion that he felt much too little.

The two just sat there in silence, one sipping her coffee while the other ate the cake in front of him. They shared a comfortable atmosphere between them- silence was something that people usually shied away from, but not them. Silence gave them the opportunity to think, to not be interrupted by other sounds. It was so peaceful. The sunlight poured in from the windows, casting a yellowish glow around the kitchen. Shadows slowly became smaller, as the sun rose up, symbolizing a new day, a new beginning. Cece smiled.

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><p>The brown haired girl sat in total content as she chewed her steak. Madam Perdue could really cook up a storm, dinner was always delicious! The atmosphere was much happier around her, as everyone felt free since there was no more class. The girl looked around the table, and was met with the sight of people chatting animatedly, and the occasional shriek of laughter would be heard ringing across the hall. Ah, the joys of Christmas!<p>

Just then, Mr. Wammy, who usually dined at the table in front of the room, stood up, beaming at all the orphans. The room gradually turned quiet, seeing as Mr. Wammy usually never spoke or made an announcement at dinner. This must have been the surprise L was talking about. Cece subconsciously turned her body towards the old man, her body leaning forward, anxiously awaiting what he was about to say.

"Good evening, everyone!" the old man smiled warmly. "As I am sure you have all noticed, Christmas is right across the corner! It is my pleasure to announce that, for the first ever time at this institution, we are taking a vacation! Where, may you ask? To New York City! We will be leaving on the 23rd, two days before Christmas, which is about a week from now. Please pack your bags, and bring enough clothes for a week and a half. We will be staying until January 3rd. Please do not wait until the last moment to pack your bags!"

His announcement was met with silence. Many thoughts were racing through Cece's mind. _New York City? As in, THE New York City? In AMERICA? Th-that's amazing!_Her lips slowly quirked upward, and as she looked around at all the amazed faces, it grew into a large smile. She looked across the table at L, and to her amazement, she found his lips quirked upward too, his eyes holding a slight twinkle to them. It was the first time she saw him express an emotion other than anger (cringe). The detective met her eyes, and Cece flashed him a grin, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

Excited chatter burst across the room, and Cece could hear little snippets of conversation. "What should I bring? Is it going to be cold in New York? I know it's winter there, so should I bring a thick jacket?"

The week passed by in a blur, and in no time at all, it was the 22nd, the day before they would travel to New York. Cece walked down the hallway, singing a Christmas carol under her breath, her emotions a happy jumble. She even had a new bounce in her step. However, as she walking past Mello and Matt's room, she heard shouts issuing from the closed door. Curiosity got the best of her as she walked through the door.

"Give me back my fucking chocolate, Matt!" Mello snarled from one end of the room. His face was screwed up in anger, his eyes thin slits, his chest heaving with emotion. "Not until you give back my cigarettes, Mello!" Matt spat from the other end of the room. His fists were clenched tightly at his side, his teeth bared, looking ready to kill. Matt was never the violent type, he was more likely to just sit back and let the action unfold.

"Your fucking cigs will give you lung cancer, mouth cancer, and a whole bunch of other shit. How the fuck can you stand that crap?"

"Your chocolate isn't any better, you prick. Ever heard of diabetes? I guess you haven't, with that big empty head of yours. Plus, the chocolate's going to melt, and it's going to get over all of my clothes, and yours as well."

"You .. I-" Mello spluttered.

"Yeah, I do tend to render people speechless."

Mello did not know what to say, so he let his body do the talking. Cece watched, horrified but yet strangely fascinated, as the blond swung his arm forward, ready to punch Matt right in the face. Matt, however, managed to block the blow, grabbing Mello's hand with his own left hand, and swinging his right arm to punch Mello's face. The blond, like Matt, was able to block the blow. The two teenagers had each other by the arms, both unable to move. They settled on viciously snarling at each other, both trying to "assert their dominance" over the other (although not in a sexual way). Neither was willing to back down- they had too much pride to do that.

Cece walked away, and despite herself, began to chuckle at the antics of the two teenagers, who were coincidentally her best friends. _Teenagers will be teenagers ..._

Mr. Wammy walked along the road that was filled with black Mercedes after black Mercedes, peering into each car to make sure that the correct occupants were inside. It would be extremely embarrassing to have forgotten one orphan in the institution, and he would have been mortified. After finally finishing his check, he walked to his own car, a Rolls Royce, and told Mr. Rogers to start driving. L sat next to him, his thumb sitting on his lip as he stared out the window. The line of Mercedes followed his Rolls Royce, as the large outline of Wammy's House faded into the distance.

Cece stared out of the window of her own Mercedes, staring at the rainy countryside. Rain poured down from the sky, soaking the car, and several rumbles of thunder could be heard in the distance as well as a few strikes of lightning. Five minutes ago, Mello and Matt had been arguing whether who would sit in the front seat. Cece, getting quite tired of their endless bickering, opened the door to the passenger side, and sat down. Mello gaped at her, looking like a fish, while Matt merely shrugged it off and sat in the backseat. Really, the two argued like an old married couple.

The brown-haired girl chuckled in amusement as she saw heads turn in their direction. She understood how astonishing a procession of twenty or so sleek and shiny black Mercedes would look. The line of cars pulled up at the airport, and the orphans poured out of the cars. All of them grabbed their luggage, as they eagerly made their way into the airport. Waiting in line to get tickets was a terrible ordeal. The younger orphans simply just could not contain their excitement, and as a result, they could not follow any instructions. They bounced up and down, shrieking once and a while with laughter. It was absolute mayhem.

After (finally) getting their tickets, the Wammy kids made their way to the gate, gate 56. Their flight was CX586, and was bound for departure at approximately 1:30 BST. They would arrive at 3:30 P.M. Eastern time in John F. Kennedy Airport. It was 11:30 BST right now, so they had two hours to kill. Matt and Mello wandered off to explore, while the other Wammy orphans went walking around the duty free shops. After all, Christmas was right around the corner.

Cece looked out the large windows of London Heathrow Airport, watching as the planes descended. It was amazing what technology could do, nowadays. Three hundred years ago, nobody would have believed her if she went back in time and told them that they would have the power to fly through the air at breakneck speeds. No, she would be seen as a lunatic.

The brown-haired girl sat down in the terminal seats, waiting for their flight to arrive. L was sitting across from her, reading a book. The plane was due to arrive in half an hour. Just then, a woman's voice emitted from the loudspeakers. "Passengers scheduled to board flight CX586 that is headed for New York City JFK Airport should be informed that their plane has just been delayed for an hour due to stormy weather. Please be patient, and thank you for choosing London Heathrow Airport. Have a good day." Groans could be heard coming from the people sitting around her.

This happened again ... and again ... and again ... until their plane had been delayed a total of four hours. Finally, the plane arrived and the residents of Wammy's House stood in line to board the plane. Mello was looking at his ticket before announcing loudly to Mr. Wammy, "Economy class? Why, there must be a mistake, I thought we were riding First Class." There was a smug smirk on his face. This was Mello, who would expect him to be riding in the economy class?

"No, Mello, there is no mistake. All of us are going to ride the Economy Class." And with that, Mr. Wammy strode inside the plane, leaving an open-mouthed Mello gawking after him.

After a considerable amount of jostling and bumping, everyone got into their seats. L, Matt, and Cece were assigned seats in row 35, and their seats were H,J, and K. Matt took the window seat, while Cece took the middle seat, leaving L to sit right next to the aisle. Poor Mello was stuck in row 34, next to the window, which was the only source of comfort since he was squished between the wall and a rather morbidly obese woman. Cece could hear the excited chatter of the other orphans as they bounced in their seats.

"Good afternoon everyone, this is Mark Reifer speaking, and I will be your pilot for this flight CX586 headed for New York City," a man's voice crackled through the loudspeaker. "Please fasten your seatbelts; we will be taking off very soon. If you require any assistance, feel free to ask any of the flight assistants. Thank you for choosing U.S. Airways, and have a good day."

Not too long after, Cece felt the sudden burst of energy coming from the engines, as the once low and steady rumble of the engine grew louder. Their plane taxied along the airway before it slowly rose up into the air. Cece felt herself being pushed back into her seat, and felt her ears popping. It was quite unnerving, since she had never been on a plane before. The plane rose steadily up, up, up before finally leveling off.

An hour into the flight, when Cece was starting to doze off, she heard a thump next to her. She looked over to her right, and saw Matt kicking the back of Mello's seat, with a smirk on his face. _Thump ... thump ... thump_. Even L's interest was perked, as he looked over to see what was going on. _Thump thump thump thump thump._ Mello growled in annoyance as he whipped around to snarl at Matt. "Stop," he commanded before turning back in his seat. Ten seconds later ... _thump_. "That's it, stop it Matt, or I swear I'll fuck you up with a spatula when we get to our hotel!"

A flight attendant walked over to Mello, telling him to be quiet, and to watch his language. The blond shot her a look of utmost hatred before he turned around, his back to the attendant. Cece covered her mouth to stifle her giggles, while L's lips quirked up in a small smile before he turned back to reading his book.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, unless you counted Cece drooling over Joseph Gordon-Levitt as she watched Inception. That man was eye-candy! Definitely too good-looking for his own good. She swore she would jump him if she saw him walking on a street. Yeah, Cece did not have such an innocent mind, contrary to popular belief. The airline provided them with one course- overcooked chicken which was quite terrible, to be honest.

"Good evening, passengers. It is now 8:00 Eastern Time in New York City. We will be arriving at John F. Kennedy Airport in thirty-minutes. At this time, we would like to ask you to fasten your seatbelts, and stow any objects under your seat. We will start out descent now."

Cece peered out the window as the plane gradually descended, below the cloud cover. She had never seen so many lights in her lifetime- they were everywhere, twinkling up at her. It was gorgeous! The plane bumped and wobbled a bit at its landing, and Cece had to fight the urge to grab onto something. Finally, after everyone had picked up their luggage and had passed customs (which was a big pain in the ass), they walked out into the cool night air. Cece shivered, her sweatpants apparently not thick enough for the cold New York City weather.

Mr. Wammy raised his voice so he could be heard over the noise of other families greeting their loved ones. "Everyone, we will be taking the bus to get to Main Street, Flushing before we take the subway to arrive at our hotel. Please stay together!"

"You ... you mean we're not taking a car or anything? We're taking public transportation?" Matt asked in disbelief.

L's reaction, however, was by far the funniest. Cece had been watching him, and could not muffle her laughter. His face was scrunched up in disgust. Cece assumed that L did not like any contact with anything, seeing that he held things between his thumb and index finger. When they finally arrived at Main Street and got on the 7 Train headed for Manhattan, it was near 9:00 P.M. It was rush hour, but the train was not terribly crowded, although L's eyes flickered from one face to another, his face scrunched up in disgust. Maybe taking the subway was not so bad ...

Boy, was she wrong. When they got off at Queensboro Plaza to transfer to the N train, the platform was jam packed full of people. _Oh hello, Mr. Hottie number 1_ Cece thought as she spotted a particularly good looking man. When they N train came, they took it to 59th Street Station Lexington Avenue before finally transferring to the 6 Train.

_Jesus Christ!_ Cece thought as she saw how packed the station was. Everywhere she looked, she saw men in crisp suits, women dressed professionally, and normal people milling around, waiting for the next train to arrive. She saw people of every nationality- she saw African Americans, Asians, Europeans ... you name it, she saw it. The subway station alone was a mixing pot of cultures and elasticities! A soft jazz tune playing in the background gave the brown-haired girl a surreal feeling. Everything was so foreign to her, and yet, it was welcoming, and so so interesting.

The 6 Train finally arrived, and as Cece peered inside, she thought that there was absolutely no way anybody would be able to get on the train. The doors opened, as people from inside the train pushed their way out, mumbling harshly under their breaths as they did so. Without waiting for all the passengers to have properly exited, people started pushing from all sides, fighting to get inside the train. Cece felt herself being pushed from the right, from the left, and from behind. She felt like she did not even have to walk- the force of the mob behind her was enough to move her. Somehow, miraculously, all of the Wammy kids managed to get on the train, although all of them looked like they had just been thoroughly harassed.

Cece tried to grab on to a pole, but found that she could not move her hand- she was surrounded by all sides. She quickly realized, however, that she did not need to hold on to a pole. She doubted that she even needed to stand on her own two feet. She could probably jump and not fall down, what with all the bodies pressing in around her. The girl peered to her left and spotted L, squished between the wall and a particularly large man. She smiled at the detective, who noticed her staring. The detective gave her a look that plainly said _you're really enjoying this, aren't you?_

After fighting their way through the crowd to get through the subway doors when it was their stop to get off, the Wammy kids emerged from the train. They walked to where they were staying- an extremely large house that looked like it belonged anywhere _but_ New York. The streets surrounding the place bustled with nightlife with shopping malls and clubs all blasting loud music. There were many people walking around, some in large groups, some walking alone, others walking with someone else. They were so interesting- it was almost like looking at the various stages of meiosis under an electron microscope, but in reality, Cece was observing real human beings, real New Yorkers. It was fascinating!

After Mr. Wammy provided them with a quick tour of the house (which looked a little too much like Wammy's, it seemed a little creepy) they were free to do whatever they wanted. Older residents (15 or above) would be able to explore on their own, while younger residents would need to have a chaperon (one of the teachers, or Mr. Wammy) accompany them.

Cece decided to make a quick exit, preferring to do her Christmas shopping alone. Today was Christmas Eve, and she needed to get presents for her friends. She knew exactly what she was going to get Mello and Matt, but L? That was a different story. After buying the presents for Mello and Matt (which was quite easy actually, the malls had everything!) she stood still, wondering what to get the detective. She doubted he would want clothes ... he did not seem to care for "fashion." Perhaps a new computer, one with super fast blazing internet? Or a book?

Sighing, the girl walked into a store. An hour later, she walked out, a beaming smile on her face as she walked back to the hotel. The perfect present for L was tucked away in her bag, and Cece could not be more happy. While brushing her teeth, Cece suddenly noticed how utterly exhausted she was. Quickly setting her alarm on to 5:30 A.M., she girl changed into her pajamas she had taken from her suitcase. Collapsing onto her bed, she closed her eyes, and within seconds, was fast asleep, breathing even, and her thoughts still an excited jumble as to what would happen the next day ... Christmas.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading guys, make sure to review! And I would also like the thank people for reviewing before, they really put a big smile on my face every time I get one (:<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

**Christmas at Wammy's, guys!**

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><p>The sun was not yet up, the silence undisturbed in the house. The sound of steady breathing filled the air, as young and old children alike slept on, not knowing what day it was. They dreamt dreams of Christmas, of happiness, of a certain fat, bearded, and jolly old man coming to give them presents. They slept on in contented happiness, smiles on their faces as they clutched their pillows. The occasional sound of tires driving by on concrete echoed through the air, disturbing the peaceful silence that had been present before. And yet, the people slept on.<p>

That is, until ...

Two voices echoed through the empty hallways of the house, ringing through all the bedrooms, startling awake the residents. "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree! On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree!"

Matt and Cece had both set their alarms to ring at exactly 5:30 A.M. Both of them hurriedly brushed their teeth, before putting on their Christmas clothes. What Christmas clothes, you may ask? Well, Matt donned a green and white striped shirt, as opposed to his regular black and white striped shirt. Slipping on a pair of comfortable black sweats, he had worn a pair of particularly red fluffy slippers. He finished his "ensemble" with a Santa hat. The girl, on the other hand, had opted for a simpler look- she wore a red sweater with black sweats like Matt, and wore, also like Matt, a pair of particularly fluffy green slippers. Yes, they had bought them together at a store during a Christmas sale. Call them weird, but they would not care.

At exactly 6:00 A.M., the two met at the front entrance, observing each other's outfits before both giving a nod of approval. When Cece had first arrived at Wammy's a year and a half ago, it lacked the proper Christmas cheer that every household should have. Sure, gifts were exchanged, sure, the children played with each other, but there was never that extravagant party with lots and lots of decoration that the residents of Wammy's House so desperately needed and wanted. And so, Cece took it upon herself to make the institution a more enjoyable place than it already was. She recruited Matt as her sidekick, and together, they set out on their little mission, hoping to succeed.

And boy, did they succeed.

Eyes fluttered open as the loud voices rang around the house, startling awake the residents. Their eyes fluttered even more when they caught sight of their surroundings- where were they? What was this place? And then, the realization struck them that they were in New York City, and that it was Christmas. Excited giggles and yelps filled the air as the sounds of little thundering footsteps ran down the stairs to the main entrance of their current residence.

Mr. Wammy had done an excellent job. When all the residents of Wammy's House had been asleep, he and the other teachers had snuck out into the night to buy a Christmas tree. Mr. Wammy, being a kind old man that had an uncanny sense for what children liked, decided to pick out the biggest tree that could possibly fit through the oak front doors of the house. It was twelve feet tall, and its leaves were a rich green color. The leaves stuck out at just the right angles, with some odd ones sticking out too, making it look all the more real. The trunk of the tree was a dark brown, and the bark was beautiful. It looked like someone had done engravings or etchings in them.

In short, the tree was perfect, and something that the children would absolutely adore.

The teachers decorated the tree with red and gold ornaments, along with some green and silver ones. Some were glittery, while others were a matte color. They even decided to hang a few candy canes in decoration around the tree. All of the teachers had walked through each of the rooms, silently taking the Christmas presents and placed them around base. The tree was surrounded by hundreds of presents, wrapped in glittering wrapping paper.

The teachers had stepped back and admired their work. Really, they would always outdo themselves every year after year. This one was the best to date.

The excited squeals met Cece's ears as the children discovered the Christmas tree. Soon, the older residents clambered down the stairs, all of them with broad smiles on their faces. Long exchanges of "good mornings" and "Happy Christmas!" were heard above the loud din. Hugs were made, and Cece could even see some people "busting out a move," unable to contain their excitement.

It was a long time before Madam Perdue could slowly usher everyone into the dining room that was slightly smaller than the one back home at Wammy's. However, it was still beautiful nonetheless. They quickly ate a breakfast of turkey, bread, cheese, and some sandwiches. The good stuff was saved for later!

Once they finished, the residents of Wammy's House slowly dispersed, although the majority of them stayed in the vastly large living room to participate in the festivities. One of the old traditions of the orphanage was to hang stockings over the fireplace, and whoever got the most Christmas ornaments in the bag would win anything that the person wanted. The only rule was that it could not cost over a hundred dollars. Of course, things got a very competitive. Instead of using sheer luck to try and get the ornament to land in the stocking, they used their knowledge of angles and arcs, calculating exactly how much strength were needed. Leave it to Mr. Wammy to make Christmas a learning experience (although a fun one at that).

Cece sat with Matt and Mello on the spiral staircase that led to the living room, watching over all the children play and giggle to themselves. She noticed that a certain black-haired detective was missing, and her lips pulled down into a frown. The brown-haired girl excused herself from her two best friends, and walked up the stairs and down a long hallway until she finally came to a stop at L's door. She knocked twice before letting herself in.

L was hunched over on his chair, reading a book. The blinds were not open, and the room was cast in shadow. The room looked empty and sad, something that should never happen, especially since it was the holidays.

"Happy Christmas, L!" Cece greeted cheerfully. L raised his eyes from the book and replied, although in a very dull voice, "Happy Christmas."

"Why aren't you downstairs with everybody else?"

"Too much noise and people."

Now, Cece could not have that! Nobody should miss a Christmas celebration, especially one at Wammy's. She placed her hands on her hips as she assessed the situation. How do you get a stubborn detective to do what you want? Nothing came to her mind, so she did the only thing that worked against Mello (who was the other most stubborn person she had met other than L). Snatching L's book from his hands, she threw it across the room (and flinched instinctively- she hated damaging any type of book). L looked up at her, carefully hiding his surprise, as Cece grabbed his wrist and practically threw him out the door and into the hallway. "Walk," she instructed him, using her most authoritative tone. L sighed deeply, knowing that he was not going to win this battle if he refused, so he complied.

They walked (more like marched) down the hallway, L in the front with a very glum expression on his face. "Sit," Cece ordered, when he reached the foot of the stairs in between Matt and Mello. The two looked up at her questioningly, but welcomed L anyway. The detective was a bit uncomfortable as he crouched in between the two, but Matt finally coaxed him into an actual conversation. As much as Cece hated to admit, Matt did have a way with people that made them want to be his friend, and the same thing applied with Mello.

After Dana, a thirteen-year-old girl, had won the stocking tradition, someone decided to have the brilliant idea of seeing who could eat the most chocolate. Mello, being the huge chocolate eater he was, signed on enthusiastically, absolutely sure that he would win. The boy devoured half his body weight in the delicacy on a daily basis, anyway. Cece helped by going to the kitchens and bringing stacks upon stacks of chocolate bars before setting it on the dining room table. Seven contestants sat around the table, as the other residents eagerly huddled around it. Mello sat with a confident smirk upon his face as the pile of chocolate was deposited on the center of the table. Matt was named as the "referee," making sure that nobody cheated, and he also had to keep count of how many bars of chocolate each contestant ate.

Cece peered over at L, who, to her surprise, had actually followed her to watch the little competition. She noticed how L's body seemed to gravitate toward the chocolate, how he seemed to lean towards the pile. With a grin on her face, she announced loudly, "L would like to join in the competition!" Surprised faces turned around to look at L, who Cece suspected would deny vehemently and give her a glare. She was astounded when he simply shrugged and took a seat next to Mello. The girl looked at him questioningly, but he replied, "I don't back down from challenges." The crowd laughed at that statement, including Cece.

"Okay, so basically, the rules are to just stuff your face with chocolate. You have five minutes to do so, and when I tell you to stop, you stop. Do not attempt to finish the bar of chocolate after I say stop, and _especially_ do not try to steal any chocolate from the pile once the competition is over." At this, Matt looked pointedly at Mello, while the blond steadfastly ignored his stare. "Winner gets to keep all the chocolate. You will begin on the count of three. One ... two ... three!"

The contestants eagerly grabbed the first bar of chocolate, devouring it in less than fifteen seconds each. L and Mello's face had the look of ecstasy on them, letting the distinctive taste of chocolate fill their taste buds. Soon, however, the other six competitors began to slow down, and it was evident that they were feeling too full to continue on. Mello and L though continued with ferocity, and Cece counted six chocolate wrappers on Mello's side as opposed to nine on L's side. Really, though, it was amazing how skinny both of them were.

"Ten seconds left ... five seconds left ... four ... three ... two ... one ... stop!" Both L and Mello put down their chocolate bars. It was obvious that L had won, and he stood up to a ringing of applause. He scooped up the pile of chocolate, and stored it away before joining the crowd again. Although his face still seemed slightly uncomfortable, Cece could tell he was loosening up. His shoulders were less tensed, and he even had a slight twinkle in his eye, something that tended to happen when he was happy. It was nice to know that he was at least having some fun- it seemed much too long since the last time he properly celebrated Christmas with his family. And that was what the Wammy kids were- a family. Despite the fact that nobody seemed to talk to L much, the truth was that they still cared about him. L cared about them too, to some degree. It was impossible not to love the Wammy kids.

The festivities continued, with raucous laughter and lots of happiness. L, it seemed, was starting to take off his mask, and he could be seen smiling once or twice, his lips quirked up. Cece did not know why, but this made her feel happier ... perhaps she had taken a liking to L? Yes, it was probably the case- he really was quite an interesting person. L felt her stare on his back, and turned to face her. His eyes asked her what she was doing, but she merely shrugged and gave him a smile. The detective looked away.

Christmas dinner was delicious (but anything made by Madam Perdue was, anyway). There was steak, chicken wings, turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, biscuits, and a whole bunch of other delectable food. Even Cece did not hold back, grabbing chicken wing after chicken wing, biscuit after biscuit, scoop after scoop of mashed potatoes and cole slaw. She knew that her table manners that night was less than perfect, but she did not care- it was Christmas, and she was going to damn well enjoy her food no matter what. The clinks of glass could be heard around the table, as people picked up and set down their refreshments. Knives clattered on plates, the gentle taps of metal on china filling the room. Even L could not resist all the food- he ate a ton, and it was not even dessert time yet.

Dinner was finished off with a large chocolate cake fit for a king, his knights, and his subordinates, and two large bowls of fruit. Cece swore that she gained twenty pounds that night with all the food she had unceremoniously devoured. Matt let out a rather loud burp as he slumped down in his chair and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. The boy was so stuffed, he could not even speak. Slowly, they got up and made their way to the large L shaped sofa in the living room, promptly sitting down.

The hour passed quickly, everyone resting to allow their body to digest the massive intake of food they had eaten. By 9:00 P.M., it was gift giving and unwrapping time. Everyone walked to the Christmas tree to take the presents they bought for others, and handed them out. Cece took four boxes from below the tree, and made her way back to the sofa.

She first gave Near a present, who opened his package quickly. His young face broke out in a smile when he saw a Bumblebee action figure from Transformers sitting inside the box. "Thank you, Cece!" the little boy said graciously. She handed the next one to Mello, whose face also lit up when he saw the piles upon piles of Lindt chocolate truffles inside. They were the absolute best, no doubt about it. The creamy consistency and the strong chocolate flavor without being too overwhelming made Lindt the number one chocolatier in the world (at least, in Cece's and Mello's opinion). After Mello thanked her with a quick hug (since he thought that hugs were "un-manly"), she gave Matt her present. He opened his package quickly, and his face lit up the most out of the three. Out he pulled three video games- L.A. Noire, Halo 3, and Final Fantasy XIV. He had been dying to get those! He noticed another package at the bottom of his present, and took it out curiously. He looked at it, and a laugh bubbled up from his throat. Cece had bought him nicotine patches to try and stop his smoking habit. "Sorry Cece, not going to happen," he said happily, before he gave her a big hug.

The three boys went off to chat with other kids and show off their presents, when Cece turned to L with a big smile on her face. "Happy Christmas, L," she said before holding the box in front of her. The detective stared at her for a long time. He did not know what to do- it was the first time he was given a present from anyone other than his parents and Watari. It was weird, and he hated not knowing what he should do. "But I didn't get you anything," he said in a monotone, although his face expressed his surprise.

"It's fine!" Cece laughed happily. Really, she had expected it.

L took the package from her hands slowly. Cece chuckled mentally, since L looked like he thought the package was going to explode. He gingerly took the package, cradling it with his arms. The expression on his face was one of wonderment, of confusion, and although it was barely noticeable, a look of happiness. "Thank you," he said uncertainly as he continued looking down at the package. He did not open the present though- he thought he would open it in the own privacy of his room. He did not want anybody seeing what he had gotten for Christmas.

The festivities continued for three or so more hours, until it was 12:30 A.M. Tired children trudged their way up the stairs to the bedrooms. But before L could go up the stairs to his bedroom, Cece stopped him. "L, do you want to go sightseeing with me tomorrow?" she asked in an innocent voice.

L stared at her for a very long time. Spending time with her could be beneficial, but at the same time, it could be disastrous. Did he want his soul to be bared even more? Did he want the girl to know who he really was? "... I suppose I'll go," the detective said after a long moment of contemplation. Cece gave him a bright smile, and L had to tear his gaze away from her face before going up the stairs.

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><p>The detective put the present on his desk, sitting down on his chair. Yes, he wanted to open the present and see what Cece had given him, and yes, the curiosity was eating away at his very soul, but something told him to stop, to hold back, to wait until it was the right time to open it. The bow sitting on top of the box was begging, practically screaming at him to open it. He reached out a hand, fingers almost touching the delicate red ribbon, before he stopped and dropped it onto his knee. It just was not the right time.<p>

L stared blankly at the light blue wall across from his chair, mulling the days events over in his head. Cece was ... one of a kind, she really was. And no matter how much L tried to deny it to himself, she was his friend. His first friend. The first person to try and get past his wall of defenses, the first person to succeed in getting past that wall. It amazed him to no end how the girl had done it. She had not done it by ramming into it with a five foot thick trunk of wood- no, she had done it by slowly taking out brick by brick, so slowly and subtly that L had not noticed it was completely gone until it was too late. She had messed with his mind, something that he did not appreciate. He did not want to be vulnerable.

But she was still, as he said before, his first friend, and one which deserved knowing who the real L was. He would not lie to her, and if the girl does not like what she sees, then so be it. The man behind the mask would finally be set free. He had made his decision.

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><p><strong>Yes, I know Christmas isn't until three months later, but I'm already feeling the Christmas spirit. I can hear the bells ringing in the air, and I absolutely cannot wait until all those Christmas commercials start airing. I'll be the happiest girl in the world.<strong>

**On another note, my doom is finally upon me. Yes, my SAT II is this Saturday. I am deathly afraid. Then two weeks later, it is the PSAT. Please excuse me for saying this so many times; I cannot emphasize how terrified I am. I have two days left to study- twelve hour study sessions, baby … woot woot.**

**The next chapter should be updated in about a week and a half. Please review guys; it really gives me a big smile on my face!**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

**Eep, SAT IIs are done with! I don't know how I did though … I'm honestly clueless. I'm hoping for above a 700 right now, seeing as I only took biology last year when I was a freshman. AP Biology, here I come …**

**On another note, sorry for the semi-longish wait. I'll try to update sooner. This chapter might be a bit overdone, what with L's story and such (you'll know what I'm talking about once you finish reading). However, it was how I envisioned him to be, so I stick by to my character!**

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><p>Cece woke up at 6:00 A.M. the next day, her eyes fluttering open before adjusting to the darkness that surrounded her. After getting ready, she lounged around on the couch in the living room, deciding that she would go to L's room at 7:00 if he was not at the living room by then. She looked out the window and was met with the site of blinding white light. She groaned loudly as her pupils took in the suddenly large amount of light, momentarily blinding her. Her hands found their way to her eyes, shielding them from harm, letting her pupils contract before slowly letting them open again. The branches on the trees across the street were weighed down by the snow- it was gorgeous. The snow was still white, not yet dirtied by the cars that drove through. New York was surprisingly quite peaceful, despite its reputation as the city that never sleeps.<p>

A shuffling of feet behind her brought Cece back to reality, as she took a mental picture of the scene before turning her head to look at the raven-haired detective standing near the foot of the stairs. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets, hair as unruly as ever, feet shuffling, and yet he looked more resigned. Like he steeled himself for something, something of great importance. It gave Cece the nerves, as she felt a shiver travel down her spine.

It was not a very pleasant feeling.

She stuffed the somewhat irrational thoughts of her head, though, as she gave him a timid smile. "Mornin', L."

"Good morning. I suppose we shall be leaving now?"

"Yes, dear sire, we will be departing from our formidable abode. Really, your old English is quite funny."

He looked quite taken aback, but she laughed at his uncertainty. She put on her dark winter jacket, hat, and gloves, while he put on his scarf and jacket. The wind whipped at their faces as they stepped out into the blisteringly cold winter air, hair thrown back as the cold air blew harshly. The howling wind be heard as they silently closed the door behind them, before carefully making their way down the snowy white steps of the residence. Not many people were about- it was only the day after Christmas, and Cece doubted anyone would want to walk out in this weather.

"Where to, L?" she asked the detective.

"I don't have a preference. You can choose for yourself."

Again with the bland answers. Cece found the closest Starbucks, and ordered a frappucino for herself, while L ordered mocha coffee. They stared out the floor to ceiling windows as they sipped their coffee, feeling the warmth permeate throughout their bodies. She hummed in quite content when soft jazz music played in the background, the only sound of murmuring voices filling the comfortable silence. She took her last sip of coffee before setting the cup down. "Ready to go?" she asked.

He muttered his consent as they shuffled their way out of the cozy shop. "Where do you want to go, Cecelia?"

The girl mulled things over in her head, thinking of possible destinations until she decided on one. "Let's to go the Museum of Natural History." She hoped L would enjoy it- after all, it was a learning experience. They would find it both interesting. After taking a short trip on the subway, they arrived at the underground entrance to the vastly large museum. Both taking their pamphlets, they explored every nook and cranny of the museum, from the famous dinosaur exhibit to the wondrously breathtaking crystal exhibit. Cece could not help but "ooooh" and "ahhhh" at all the glittering array of crystals.

She knew most of the information on the plaques positioned below each exhibit, but she read them anyway. L, on the other hand, preferred the planetarium to the crystal exhibit. He stared at the little miniature planets, and could not resist the temptation to buy a book (a rather large one at that, even in Cece's opinion) full of information on the solar system. L found it hard to keep his face blank of emotion when even he was feeling slightly happy at his buy. Yes, he was a "nerd" in all sense, and yes, he was quite proud of it. All in all, it took them four and a half hours to finish touring the museum. They left feeling quite satisfied.

After grabbing a quick lunch at a small little shop, the two trekked their way to Central Park. It took them quite a long time (forty-five minutes to be exact) to slowly wade their way through the thick covering of snow. Cece nearly fell face down on the snow a multitude of times, only regaining her balance after flailing her arms in circles for a full minute. With that being said, she fell on her face once to her chagrin. L was lucky to wipe the smirk off his face before she saw it on her face, but it did not stop her from putting her hands on her hips, wagging her little finger in L's face. It was quite the sight; L had to admit to himself. Her face was bright red, flushed from embarrassment and the cold. He found himself thinking that it rather suited her before he pulled himself back to the reality and mentally chided himself for thinking that.

They found a nicely secluded area before sitting down on a park bench. The two let their tired leg muscles loosen up, closing their eyes as they caught their breaths. The sound of moving water and birds chirping was the only sound that could be heard. The sunlight shone on their faces, although it did little to warm their cold bodies. Cece pulled her jacket tighter around herself in an attempt to warm her frosted figure. It was a fruitless attempt.

L sat two feet away from her, his emotions a cocktail of uncertainty. He yearned to bolt out of the park, away from the girl sitting next to him, but he could not do it. He made his decision yesterday- he wanted Cece to know about his past, and decide whether or not she wanted to be his friend after all. Better to receive a punch in the stomach now than a blow in the chest later. And yet, he felt so uncertain, because part of him wanted her to accept him. Part of him wanted to be her friend, and it disturbed him. He never felt this towards anyone- the want to be their friend, the pull they exerted on him. He sighed a deep sigh, before turning to the girl sitting next to him. She looked so peaceful, the sun shining on her face. It pained him knowing what he would tell her in a matter of seconds.

Cece's eyes fluttered open to stare at the detective when he cleared his throat. She sensed the inner turmoil inside him as she stared into his black eyes. They were darker when he was unsure of himself, and Cece responded by straightening her body and turning it towards him. She knew it must be something important. "Yes, L?" she asked him.

He stared at her, and stared at her hard. Cece returned the stare, but it was soft, questioning, probing. Cece saw the man known as L transform behind her eyes. She saw his face slip into a blank stare, watched his face slacken as his eyes dulled, watched his shoulders slump as he crouched even more into himself. In that moment, L ceased to exist, and only the blank shell remained. The transformation from soul to shell was complete.

"I was born in London," he began in a monotone, looking away from the girl to stare at a spot far away in the distance. "My mother was a teacher. My father, a technician. We lived in a modest house, with a quaint little kitchen and two bedrooms. We were friends with our neighbors, friends with the whole community. I guess you could say my parents were popular."

Cece listened on in silence. The importance of what he was telling her warned her not to interrupt.

"They loved me very much, too much, I thought. They followed my every move, showered me with presents. I was spoiled, and ungrateful, for nothing could satiate my thirst for knowledge. I demanded books, harder classes, more. More, more, more. I wonder now if that was the only word I knew back when I was a child." He smiled a hollow smile at that. "They gave me everything I wanted, because who else could they give it to? They cared for me too much, always putting my wants and needs ahead of theirs. They only received a modest pay, and yet, they gave me everything. They cared for me too much, too much for their own good.

"I loved them, I really did. I just never showed it. No hugs, no kisses, no show of affection. I was empty, my face always dull, never betraying any form of emotion. I hid the gratitude I felt when they gave me a new book. I hid the warmth in my heart when my mother hugged me, or tucked me into bed. I hid the pride I felt when my father showed me off to his friends. I hid everything.

"If someone asked me why I was like that, I would not be able to answer. I myself don't know why I was like that. Perhaps it was just what the higher beings damned me to become. A soulless person. I look back on my childhood days, and think that I was truly frightening. What child refuses to play with friends? What child refuses to buy toys? I was truly a freak, I was abnormal. I still am.

"I was nine when it happened. My parents came up to my room to tell me that they were going to buy groceries. My mother hugged me and kissed me, while my father gave me a kiss on the cheek and called me a little tike. It was his nickname for me. I mumbled a half-hearted goodbye, irritated that they disturbed my reading. I did not look at them when they left.

"It was an hour and a half later when I heard a knock on the door. I thought it was my parents. I opened the door to find two police officers, staring down at me with sadness in their eyes. I didn't register the importance of the moment. I didn't think anything bad happened, just that there was a confusion of some sorts. I thought nothing could happen that would turn my perfect little world upside down.

One of them bent down on their knees, and said to me that my parents were involved in a car accident. A truck lost control and smashed into them. They didn't survive the crash. He said he was very sorry.

"I felt numb. I didn't believe what he said, refused to believe it. I said he was lying to me, and yelled at him for telling me something so terrible. They only looked at me with pity in their eyes. I burst into tears, sobbing. It couldn't be true. The two officers took me to the police station that night, letting me stay. It was foreign, unwelcome. I missed the comfort of my home. I missed my mother whispering good night into my ear. I missed my father bringing me a cup of warm milk. I missed my parents.

"I look back now, twelve years later, and feel regret. Why didn't I say 'I love you'? Why did I not give them a quick hug, a quick kiss, anything that would show them how much I truly cared? It pains me to think that I was probably the last person they thought about before they died. Their only child. They would have felt regret, sadness for not being able to watch their son grow up.

"They died not knowing I loved them. That is my greatest regret, Cece. That they died not knowing that their only son loved them.

"Watari became my caretaker shortly thereafter, taking care of me as if I was his own. I loved him too. He gave me an education, gave me everything I wanted. I healed over time, but the scars are always there. It never leaves you.

"I was damned from the start, from the moment I left my mother's womb. I have ruined hundreds of families, Cece. Yes, I catch those criminals that commit atrocious crimes. But there are always those special cases, the ones where the family is not aware of the wrongdoing their loved one has committed. They refuse to believe it. It drives them insane, crazy, and off the edge. Sometimes, the family doesn't recover. Sometimes, they end it all.

"They end it all to leave the ones hurting behind, like me. There is not a day that passes without me regretting my past actions. There is not a day that passes without me praying for forgiveness from my parents, if they can hear me. Not one day."

Cece felt her heart clench, felt her eyes grow moist with unshed tears. The boy sitting next to her had suffered so much loss, so much sadness. The story of the detective L ran much deeper than a genius who made a living solving crimes. No, it was much deeper than that. It was the story of a man who endured so much, but fought through anyway. She felt a sob threatening to escape her throat, and she bit her lip to try to stop the sound from escaping. A tear rolled down her cheek, and before she could stop herself, she grabbed L and hugged him, crying into his shoulder.

She felt L's body stiffen, his muscles become rigid, as his body reacted to the sudden movement. He felt the girl shaking, her quiet sobs filling her body. He did not want to burden her with his story, but he felt it was necessary. He let his muscles relax one by one, finally allowing himself to be consoled.

Standing right behind them, two figures stood, one clutching the other with her face buried in his neck. They were unseen by others, only by their own kind. The force of the woman's sobs racked her body, shaking her from head to toe. The man held on to her waist, to prevent her from collapsing. The woman was chanting something ... though her words were muffled by the man. But when the woman lifted her head to gasp for air, before sobbing again, the man heard it. The constant "We love you, too," reverberating through his eardrums. The man traced small circles into his wife's back, whispering the same thing into her hair.

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><p>It took Cece a long time to pull away from L, but she did so nonetheless, wiping her eyes with her sleeves, embarrassed with herself. L stood up, startling her, before she looked up at him. "We have to continue sightseeing, I thought this was the purpose of this little trip," he replied monotonously to her questioning gaze.<p>

"Oh, yeah ... sorry," she replied awkwardly, refusing to meet his gaze.

They took the subway to the construction site of the World Trade Center. The new building stood tall, next to the two reflecting pools of where the previous towers once were. Cece gazed at the sight before her eyes, remembering vividly the day it happened. She was in her mid-teens, watching the television before the show abruptly switched over to a broadcast, as they played and replayed a passenger jet colliding with the North Tower.

It was a sight she would never forget. She knew that, at that moment, she had witnessed the deaths of hundreds of people. Being here at the scene of it all brought back memories of the screams of panic, and the cries of loss.

L turned his head to the side and caught sight of a mother and a child. The little girl had her hands clasped in front of her, wind tossing her hair to one side and back. Her eyes were closed tightly, as she prayed fervently. She spoke the last few words aloud, opening her eyes to gaze at the sight before her. Her small child-like voice saying, "I miss you, dad," was carried by the wind to Cece and L's ears. Cece's heart broke, as L felt his own heart clench. The woman held out her hand for the girl, before looking one last time at the tower. As they walked past the two young adults, L slipped a piece of candy into the girl's pocket, hoping that, at least once in his lifetime, he could make a total stranger happy.

The young girl pulled on her mother's hand, telling her to stop, before turning around to face L. Upon looking at him, her face burst into a toothy little smile, before saying thank you. L blinked comically two times before giving the little girl a smile of his own. The woman looked at L before whispering a heartfelt 'thank you,' as she led the little girl back home.

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><p>That night, L sat on his desk, looking at the present Cece had given him. He reached a hand out and slowly untied the ribbon, careful not to damage it in the process. He peeled off the paper, ever so slowly, in order to keep the wrapping paper in mint condition. After opening the box, he found a DVD, along with a post-it note attached. In Cece's neat handwriting, it said:<p>

_Here's a present for you, L, because heaven knows you don't receive enough. I really didn't know what to get you at first, but I guess this one just ... flew into my hands. Come to think of it, it literally did fly into my hands, but I digress! I hope you like it, and it comes to show that, sometimes, even the simplest of things can teach us something that transcends all colors and ages._

_Merry Christmas, L._

_-Cece_

This got L's curiosity piqued. He put the DVD into his DVD player, before pressing the play button. On the screen, an ornate title read, "The Lion King." He watched the movie for its entire length, and realized all the symbolism behind everything. The struggle between Simba and Scar was representative of the struggles one experiences throughout life. The constant hurdles one has to cross, the constant rules and ideas that one had to learn, the constant struggles that one has to overcome before finally emerging victorious as a stronger person. "Hakuna matata," taught one to enjoy life as it went, because, in the end, one's life would never be perfect. There were bound to be hardships, but as one persevered, anything was possible. Rafiki was the helping hand in one's life, the person that would assist one when one needed help.

And lastly, the spirit of Mufasa symbolized how one's loved ones were never truly gone. And as cliche and overdone as it sounded, they would forever live on in one's heart.

The movie ended with L in wonderment. The girl really knew him too well, and he was not the least bit upset about it. It was nice to have a friend- his first friend. He shuffled out of his room to Cece's, before softly knocking on the door and letting himself in. Once inside, he did not know what to do. Cece looked up at him from her perch on her bed, book in her lap. "Good evening, L," she said pleasantly. "Can I help you?"

"I .. I just wanted to say ... thank you ..." L stuttered. He grimaced, since he never stuttered. Ever. The words were so foreign on his tongue- he felt like he was speaking an unknown language. With a pang, he realized that he had not spoken the words 'thank you' to anyone other than Watari for a long time. It was disturbing, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head.

"Thank you for what?" the girl asked, genuinely puzzled.

"... your present."

A kind smile graced Cece's features, as she closed her book in a very lady-like manner. She walked over to L before poking him in the chest with a teasing smile on her face, before affectionately tussling his hair. "I'm assuming you watched the movie, then?"

"Yes."

"Found it enlightening?"

"... yes. Thank you."

Cece waited for a few seconds before responding, "L, there is _nothing_ to thank me for." And with that, Cece pulled L into a hug.

This time, L did not flinch. Cece patted his back slowly, before pulling away, and giving him a bright smile. "I'm glad you liked it."

L walked back to the door, but before he could fully leave, he turned back on his heel. He did not know what made him do it- it was just a sudden urge to say what he was about to say. "Cece, you can call my Ryuzaki."

"Well then, Ryuzaki, good night, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes ... good night."

L felt mighty proud of himself that night.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading guys (:<strong>

**Yes, I know it's a bit overdone, but oh wells …**

**As always, I would like to thank the reviewers, and constructive criticism is always appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

Sorry for the longer-than-usual response, guys (:

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><p>Cece took in a breath of clean, wonderfully cool air of England outside the courtyard of Wammy's House. New York City was a spectacular experience, but home was just that: home. She walked back up the stone steps of Wammy's House, the wind slightly blowing her hair to the side. Her cheeks were red from the cold, her nose pink at the tip. The blast of warm air that enveloped her body when she stepped through the threshold could not be more welcome. Hanging her coat up in the little room that was situated next to the door, she went up the staircase to her room to change.<p>

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. The sound of doors slamming could be heard along the hallway, as the thunderous footsteps of children eagerly awaiting dinner ran out of class. Cece pulled on an old faded dark blue hoodie, and a pair of sweatpants before making her way to dinner. Everything had returned back to normal from their return back from New York three months ago. She settled back into her relatively stress-free life with apparent ease, although one thing had changed somewhat dramatically. Her relationship with L was not as tenuous as it had been, not as strained. It was a major improvement from the time she had to restrain herself from punching him in the face. She chuckled mentally at that comment.

She saw Mello as he pushed his way through the throng of younger students, a scowl on his face. "Hey Mello!" Cece replied cheerfully. Mello looked down at her in irritation, brushing off his leather clad body in annoyance. "You're always so upbeat, Cece. I don't get how you do it," he said, scowling.

"There's nothing to _get_, Mello, you just have to do."

Mello barred her teeth at her, trying to scare her.

"You obviously haven't found your inner balance, Mello. Get the stick out of your buttocks and then maybe you'll find it," Cece said cheekily before running off. Mello could have gotten a well-aimed punch at her face (although she knew he would never do that).

The mouth-watering aroma of lasagna filled her nostrils as she opened the door to the dining room, sitting next to Matt. She laughed as he wolfed down the lasagna with ferocity- it was almost like watching a lion take down its prey, although the poor prey did not even have a chance to defend itself before a big chunk was stuffed into the gaping abyss known as Matt's mouth. She looked across the table and, to her dismay, Ryuzaki was not there. He had not been to dinner for the past two days, and she had hardly seen him walking around the orphanage. He stayed cooped up in his room all the time, crouching on his chair and looking at the computer screen. It could not be good for his health.

Her brow creased with worry as Cece thought of the possible health risks. Yes, blood clots from staying in the same position all day was certainly a possibility. Did the boy care about his health? Her lips pulled down into a frown as she mulled her unpleasant thoughts over in her head. No, the careless, idiotic boy was doing nothing for his body with the way he was currently living his life. The amount of sweets he consumed was probably more than the average amount a whole class of kids ate on Halloween. It astounded her how he was not a diabetic. After taking a long sip of ice-cold vitamin water (that stuff was _good_), she picked up a plate of lasagna, before stopping to look at the counter. Coffee or water? Of course Ryuzaki would choose coffee, but water was clearly the healthier choice. But if she brought coffee up, he would certainly be upset. Such a hard choice! His health or his happiness? Health or happiness ... health or happiness ...

Wait! When did she care so much? Her lips pressed into a firm line as she thought of a possible answer to the question in her head. Hmm ... when _did_ she start caring so much? After waging an internal debate in her head and realizing she must have looked like a complete lunatic standing in front of the drinks for five minutes without doing anything, she snatched up a glass of water. On her way out, though, she saw dessert. And it was not chocolate chip cookies either. It was cake. Delicious, chocolate-y, mouthwatering-ly delicious cake. She let out a strangled cry as she slammed down her plate of lasagna and glass of water before stalking over and snatching a plate of cake. _You win this time, cake, but ooh, you're going down next time_she thought to herself before grabbing Ryuzaki's food and walking up the stairs (perhaps being a little louder than necessary).

She did not know that Matt and Mello were snickering at her behind her back, or she would have got herself into a fit of rage.

She kicked open Ryuzaki's bedroom door with all her little body could muster before slamming down the plates of food in front of his desk. "_Where_have you been, Ryuzaki?" she asked in a deadly calm voice.

"I was doing work, Cece-chan," he replied, with his face still focused on the computer screen. He was oblivious to the volcano that was about to blow standing right behind him.

Cece yelled in frustration before grabbing the edge of Ryuzaki's swivel chair and turning it towards her so that the detective's owl-like eyes were staring up at her in confusion. "Yes, Cece-chan?"

"You! You!" she spluttered. "You need to eat! Not coming down to dinner for the past two days! No nutrition! Nothing! Diabetes! Lump of nothing! Unhealthy, Ryuzaki!"

"Calm down, Cece-chan. Try speaking in full sentences."

"You ... I can't ... I can't even! _What _would Watari say?"

Ignoring that question, Ryuzaki extended an arm to grab the plate of chocolate cake before Cece gave him a well-aimed slap on the wrist. "Lasagna first," Cece said sternly. Ryuzaki frowned, ready to argue with her before Cece turned to him with a glare that would have put any mother to shame. Even the detective, who had no previous experience with women, knew not to argue. Picking up the plate of lasagna with as little contact as possible, he ate it slowly, his face a mixture of disgust and misery. Cece looked on, feeling her anger slowly ebb away. A small smile eventually found its way to her face, as she watched Ryuzaki eat. He really was just like a little kid. She could never stay mad at him for an extended period of time.

"What work are you doing?" she asked him in curiosity.

"There's been some odd stuff happening in Japan lately," L replied through a mouthful of chocolate cake. "Criminals are dying in prison for no explainable reason. All have died of heart attacks, even the ones with no apparent health problems." He swallowed the last piece of cake before setting the plate down on the table.

"Heart attacks? Did they check the food that was being served?"

"Of course. They were quite thorough with it too," he said before swiveling back to face the computer screen.

Cece sighed, since it was evident that Ryuzaki would put all his undivided attention back into his work again. "I'm going to go now, Ryuzaki," she said.

"See you tomorrow."

Cece walked to the door, before turning to look at him. "_Do_try to sleep some tonight."

Ryuzaki turned around in his chair to give her a small smile. "I'll try. And I probably won't be able to go to dinner tomorrow, so please bring up a plate of food for me. Thank you, Cece-chan."

Cece left, quietly shutting the door behind her, before she slowly walked back to her bedroom.

L hammered away on his keyboard, his face intently looking at the computer screen. This was a very odd case, very odd indeed. How was it possible for all these criminals to die? Was it some type of epidemic? No, he had checked the Health Department files in Japan, and there was no indication of an epidemic. Very odd. Besides, epidemics do not specifically target criminals. He unconsciously brought his thumb to his lips, lightly chewing on it between his teeth. Three knocks sounded from across the room.

"Come in," Ryuzaki said.

The door opened and closed, before the sound of footsteps sounded behind him. "Ah, Ryuzaki, hard at work, I see," said a male voice.

"Watari. Hmm ... yes, I'm monitoring what's happening in Japan as of now."

"I suppose I should not disturb you then. However, I would like to discuss some things with you tomorrow. You can come in whenever you like."

"Yes Watari. Have a good night."

The sound of a door closing cut through the silence as L continued to hammer away on his keyboard. A sudden thought brought a smile onto his face. It did not seem like he was going to get any sleep tonight. Cece would not be too happy about that, he chuckled mentally to himself.

It was silent as Ryuzaki walked down the hallway to Watari's office. The sound of children sleeping was the only thing he could hear, other than the muffled sounds of his footsteps. Knocking two times on the door, he let himself in, quietly closing it behind him. Watari was sitting on his desk, his hands moving swiftly across the keyboard as he stared at the screen intently. Ryuzaki wondered if that would be him, fifty, sixty years from now. He pushed the thought into the back of the gaping black abyss, something he referred to as his mind. He hoped those thoughts would remain hidden, that they would not resurface anymore. Fifty, sixty years from now, he would probably be dead, buried deep underground, his body decaying. Handing himself over to nature, the very thing that had once given birth to him. It was a vicious cycle, indeed.

Watari looked up as he heard the door close. He took off his glasses, gesturing to the seat in front of him. "Ahh, Ryuzaki, it's nice to see you. Good morning," he said, smiling at the detective. "Yes. Good morning, Watari." Ryuzaki crouched down in the chair, staring at Watari, waiting for him to continue.

"Yes, it seems like it is time to continue our discussion on the case in Japan. What do you think is happening?"

Ryuzaki did not reply for a few moments, thinking it over in his head before finally responding. "I think that these deaths are not coincidental. That much is obvious. They are being targeted. But the question is how. How are these criminals dying of heart attacks? There has not been some pandemic in Japan recently. Their food has been checked for any traces of suspicious chemicals, but there are none. Throughout my years as a detective, there have always been some traces left at crime scenes, anything that might indicate who or what was behind it. The trouble was just piecing them together. But here ... this is something new altogether. It seems like they just died ... died with no trace of what happened.

Watari, this is very serious. If this weapon, this thing by which the killer is conducting his mass murders with, somehow finds its way to the public hands, it could be disastrous. It will circulate around the world, and authorities will be helpless. Yes, they can check imports and exports into and out of countries, but will that do any good? Drugs like marijuana and cocaine find their way across the U.S. border despite the tight surveillance and patrol officers, how hard will it be for this thing to be smuggled across the world?

This can potentially impact the whole world, Watari."

"Are you interested in taking on this case then, Ryuzaki?

The detective blinked his large eyes two times before replying. "I think I have made it obvious, have I not?"

"Very well then. There is something else I would like to ask you."

"What is it?"

"It's about Cece."

Ryuzaki had not been expecting this. Watari wanted to talk about Cece? "What about her?"

"I have noticed that you two have been spending a lot of time together."

"I guess we have. Your point, Watari?"

"Have you developed ... _feelings _for the girl?"

The detective's reaction was comical. His eyes widened, his brows soaring to his hairline. He stopped gnawing on his thumb, as he stared at Watari with a shocked expression. Was Watari talking about girls with him? Girls? He shuddered at the thought. He had never had this conversation before, and he sorely hoped that this would not be the first time.

"Watari, what concerns my personal life is information that I do not yet wish to share," he replied in a level tone.

The elderly man chuckled in response. "You may leave now, Ryuzaki." He dismissed the detective, but as the detective was just about to close the door behind him, Watari said in a quiet voice that he was sure would carry over, "She is a fine girl. Good choice, lad."

Ryuzaki, for the first time in who knows how long, felt a strange warmth fill his cheeks as he closed the door. Good god, was he _blushing_?

He spent the rest of the day working on the case in Japan and another case in Germany. He hammered away his keyboard, before the sound of the door opening finally jolted him out of his work-induced fervor. He raised his eyes to the clock on the wall. 7:32. He had been working for quite a while. Swiveling around in his chair in what he deemed to be a very pompous manner, he watched Cece as she closed the door. She put down the plate of food (which looked suspiciously like a large plate of vegetables, with only six pieces of chocolate chip cookies) before sitting down on his bed ... all without looking at him.

"Cece-chan?"

No response.

"Cece?"

No response.

That woman was using the silent treatment on him! "Fine, Cece-chan," came his muttered reply to a statement that she had not expressed, although it was implied. Cece stared pointedly at a place on the wall, ignoring the probing gaze of the raven-haired detective. She stared around at her surroundings, reveling in the normality of it. The neutral colored walls calmed her, as the wind howled outside. The rhythmic _tap tap tap _of the detective's typing lulled her to sleep, as her breath slowly evened out. Her chest rose and fell slightly with each breath of air she took, her lips slightly parted.

L watched the girl sleep. She looked so peaceful, it was rather endearing. He found himself mildly wondering to himself why he had not noticed how pretty she was until now. And then reality hit him. What was he saying? Surely, he was not attracted to the girl ... no, he did not deal with such emotions. This was the precise reason why he refused to become friends with anyone in the first place. Scowling at himself, he pushed the thoughts to the back of his head, realizing dully that he had been doing that quite often over the course of three months. He turned back to the computer screen to continue his work.

And yet, he could not help but wonder if Watari was right ...

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><p>Cece woke the next day feeling groggy, but wonderfully rejuvenated at the same time. She blinked in surprise at the unfamiliar surroundings that were not her room, but soon realized where she was. She looked around for the detective, and a little disappointment filled her as she realized that he was not there. After cleaning herself up, she shuffled her way down to the kitchen. How odd, the detective was also not there.<p>

Her brow creased in worry as the day progressed. Where was Ryuzaki? Where was Watari? And then it struck her. The talk about the case in Japan. The unexplained murders. The interest Ryuzaki had in the case. How he worked day and night, starving himself in the process. Ryuzaki had left for Japan without a note, without telling her when he would be back. He left.

Something invisible seemed to grab at her heart as she felt tears prick her eyes. It was not rational to feel like this, and yet, she felt sadness. A dull aching throb filled her as she fought the tears that were threatening to spill over.

She had been abandoned.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>

**I know my writing hasn't been on par with what I want it to be, so I'm sorry about that. Also, I'm planning on starting another story for a Theodore Nott and Hermione Granger fanfic, so updates might become slower as tests and schoolwork catch up with me.**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note.**

**Sorry for the incredibly long wait! I guess a freakishly large amount of homework, tests, family reunions, and writers block culminated in a rather long period of frustration. Again, so sorry! I promise I'll try and update more!**

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><p>It was a gloomy day ... and yet, everything seemed that way to Cece now. She stumbled along the hallway, unsure of where she was going, not that she cared anyway. She felt empty, abandoned, gross, disgusting, egregious, ... vile. Everything disgusted her, from the bright colors at Whammy's House to the loud cries or whoops of joy the children gave everyday during dinner. It seemed like her face was fixed in a permanent scowl, or pulled down in a permanent frown. She refused to probe into what made her unhappy, because she did not even want to think about him ... about Ryuzaki. She waited for two weeks already, and she was sick of it. She was sick of waiting for someone she was fairly sure would not come back. She hated him, hated his voice, his hair, his eyes, anything that made him <em>him<em>. She hated his brains, she hated his damn personality, she hated his damn name. She hated him. She hated him for leaving her alone, without a note or anything to tell him where he had gone.

She felt tears prick her eyes. Since when had she became such a weakling? Since when did she let someone's leave affect her so terribly? Where was the Cece she had known before, the one who confronted her problems head on without once flinching away or turning back? Since when did she become a hormonal teenager driven by emotions rather than things that are actually important?

Oh yeah, she had changed. Changed because of the stupid detective who was gone from her life.

Cece let out a frustrated growl. She was being irrational, she knew it. She knew that she did not hate Ryuzaki. She tried to push him to the back of her mind, but he was always there, even if he was not in the forefront of her thoughts. He was always on the fence, always nagging at her. She wanted to escape, but she could not. In truth, she missed him. She missed him a lot. She did not know when he became so important to her, but he did. She missed everything about him- the comforting presence he gave off when he was in a room even if he was not talking, the familiar blank stare he gave people, the slow smooth voice of his, the intelligence that he held. Hell, she even missed the fights they had ... and she missed the small glimpses she had into his soul whenever he exposed a little bit more of himself to her. She loved it when she slowly unraveled him, and she could not help it when her heart broke for him every time she learned of his past. She loved his bravery and the strength he possessed.

She loved a lot of things about L, but she could never bring herself to say those three words: that she loved L. Because she did not. She could not. He was Ryuzaki, and she was Cecelia. It just did not happen. She convinced herself that she only thought of Ryuzaki as a best friend, more of a brother than a potential love interest. She ignored how her heart clenched every time she thought of him.

Somewhere in the corner of her mind, she heard the door open and close before her bed sagged with the weight of Matt's body. He laid a hand on her soldier, and she flinched. Matt looked at the face of his best friend, the limp hair that hung around her face, the sunken eyes that no longer held light anymore, the sickly pale pallor of her skin, and how frail she looked. The usual vibrant Cece had gone, replaced by a former shadow of who she was. It was like Ryuzaki had taken that piece of her away when he had left.

"Cece ..."

"What?" she said unblinkingly.

"Snap out of it."

Cece stuck her nose up in the air. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you do, Cece. Stop it, he's going to come back, he always does. He's L, the smartest detective in the world. He's solved the most difficult cases in the world, and he's survived dangerous situations. He's going to come back, Cece, please believe me."

"I don't know who or what you're talking about."

Matt looked at the girl beside him with wide eyes. "Jesus Christ, Cece, do you take me for a fool? It's obvious that you like him, it's obvious to everyone in this orphanage! And it's bloody well obvious that he likes you too!"

Cece looked away from the fiery eyes of her friend. "... What if he doesn't come back?" she said in a smaller voice than she intended. Matt heard the little quiver in her voice, saw a small flicker of hopelessness in her eyes before she quickly turned her face away.

"He will."

"But what if he doesn't? What if something bad happens to him?"

"Nothing bad will happen, Cece."

"Matt, I think he's doing the Kira case right now. What if Kira gets him? What if he wasn't able to solve the case? Then what?"

Matt ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Cece."

They sat in an awkward silence for a while, before Cece spoke again. "Go away, Matt. I want to be alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Go." Matt stood up, and took an uncertain glance at Cece. She still had her face turned away from him, and she did not look like she would change her position for a long time. He sighed heavily, and closed the door gently behind him as he left. Cece stared out of her window, hearing the soft chirping of birds as the first signs of spring started appearing. Grabbing a jacket, she slowly shuffled through Whammy's and out the door, walking to the lake that she so loved. It was her private refuge, a place for her to escape everything.

A dizzying sense of déjà vu overcame her as she stared into the lake again, staring at her reflection. And yet, there were key differences. Her reflection no longer shared a scared face, it showed a face empty of expression. Her curls no longer framed her face. She felt herself lie down in the grass, felt the warm breeze of springtime caress her face. Her body never felt so attuned to her surroundings. Maybe, in the face of disparity, nature came to comfort her. She felt the grass tickle her hands and her neck, the cool wonderfulness of the earth beneath her fingertips. The birds in the distance sung their entrancing song, almost as if they were purposefully lulling Cece into sweet, sweet sleep when she would be oblivious to the world around her. The warmth of the sun seemed to kiss her skin, the way a mother would stroke the face of her child. She lay there for what seemed like hours, but maybe were only minutes. She had forgotten this place for such a long time, and being back, she felt like a piece, albeit a small piece, had returned to her. Her eyes shone a little brighter. She did not want to ever leave the safe haven.

But she had to. To run from her problems showed weakness- she had to soldier on, despite the way her heart protested or her mind refused to cooperate. She picked herself up gingerly, wincing as her head pounded. She blinked twice at the glaring light from the sun, as she walked through the thick forest surrounding her to the gravel pathway leading back to Whammy's House. She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she almost failed to notice the rather flashy Rolls Royce stationed right in front of the entrance. Her heart skipped a beat. That Rolls Royce ... it was Watari's! Her heart beat strongly in her chest, willing her to walk faster, as she hoped against hope that the person she so ached to see was standing behind the heavy wooden doors.

She swung it open, and searched the room until she found him. Ryuzaki stood, talking with Watari in the corner, as she heard his low voice sigh and say, "It's good to be back." Almost as if the detective could feel someone's gaze on him, he lifted his eyes, connecting them with Cece's stare. His eyes widened comically, before Cece found her body running, the constant _thud thud thud _of her feet hitting the floor resounding through the room. And she was in his arms, her own arms around his neck as she struggled to control her sobs. Ryuzaki looked down at the girl clutching at him. She looked so different, so pale and fragile. And yet, it felt so right, her little frame crushed up against his own. He inhaled the familiar scent of her hair. Oh, how he had missed her so. Weeks seemed to pass like months when he was away. He could not put his finger on it, but he had felt a strange, what was the word, _vacancy_when he was away. He was dull, even more so than before. He was bored with everything, even his case. It felt so right to be back.

It felt so right to have Cece in his arms as he hugged her back.

It was so wonderfully cliche, and yet so wonderfully perfect at that moment, that Cece had to wonder where in the world were the cameras waiting to videotape this and put it on the English version of MTV or VH1.

After a rather lengthy bawl that resulted in a very wet shirt on Ryuzaki's part, Cece pulled back, and looked up at Ryuzaki with wide eyes. And then her eyes became slits. Lethal, lethal slits. "You come back after two and a half weeks, L! Two and a half weeks! I've been worried sick! No conversation, no goodbye, no note! Not even a single fucking NOTE L!"

L flinched at Cece's screams, her face so filled with rage. She hurled her words at him like she wished they would tear him apart right there. Her face screwed up in anger, her eyebrows furrowed forming a crease, and her very hair seemed to crackle with the anger and fury she was trying to suppress.

"Cece, I'm so-"

"No you're not, L! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear your pretty excuses for leaving! It's a wonder that you're still alive, I could basically slit your throat right now, L! Do you know how worried I've been? I haven't slept properly since you left! I haven't had the appetite to eat anything other than a few spoonfuls of food! I had to drag myself out of bed everyday!"

Angry tears flowed down her flushed cheeks, her heavy breathing causing her chest to rise up and down rapidly. L would have found it rather funny had it not been him on the receiving end of the death glare she was sending him.

"I can't believe you! I can't believe you left without even telling me!"

"Cece, stop!" L said, trying to grab her arm to calm her down, but she was inconsolable.

"Go away, L! Just go away!" And with a final sob and glare, she ran up the steps and into her room, where she slammed the door hard for Ryuzaki to hear. The detective turned perplexed to Watari, who had stood through the whole quarrel without uttering a single word. "I did not mean to upset her."

"Ah, Ryuzaki, you have a lot to learn."

"Maybe I should go up and comfort her ..."

"No, Ryuzaki. Let her calm down first, before you approach her. The girl is very upset, and she needs to regain control of herself before she is ready to face you."

The raven-haired detective sighed. He hated being the cause of her tears, and it seemed like a weight had settled itself onto his chest. He really had not meant to distress her so much. He hated seeing her look so upset, knowing that he was the one who had caused it. He hated seeing the hurt in her eyes as she yelled at him ... the hurt she so desperately tried to hide. He hated seeing the tears run down her face as she screamed her heart out at him, pointing her finger at him, accusing him. All Ryuzaki wanted to do was wipe the tears off her face, for her to stop sobbing and hurting.

He wanted for it all to stop.

Ryuzaki took a deep shuddering breath, placing his head between his hands and squeezing shut his eyes.

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><p>Cece shut the door with a loud bang, flinging herself onto her bed. Ryuzaki was back. It should have caused her joy, and yes, she reveled in happiness when she first embraced him. She loved inhaling the scent that was Ryuzaki. She loved how she seemed to mold perfectly to his chest. She loved how protected she felt when Ryuzaki was in her presence. But she did not love him. She could not love him, for he was L, and a world famous detective who happened to have no emotions whatsoever. And who was she? A girl yet to make a name for herself, and a girl thrown aside when she was not used for one's amusement. She knew she was being irrational, and this was not who she, Cece, was, but being angry always left her in a rather bad temper and terrible mindset where she thought malicious thoughts about herself and others.<p>

She forced herself to calm down (mind you, quite a difficult task), taking deep, soothing breaths. A knock on the door sounded throughout her room, and she grit her teeth against the need to hurl something at the person she knew was behind the wooden object. "Come in," she ground out. L came in to a very dimly lit room, with a girl refusing to look at him. She turned her back to him, as if she was disgusted by the person standing in front of her. She felt very much like those girls she watched on television who were going through a bad breakup. She had not, however, expected anything remotely similar to happen to someone at Whammy's, much less herself or Ryuzaki.

"I'm sorry for not leaving a note," Ryuzaki said monotonously, without any emotion in his voice. He watched her warily, like she was a tiger ready to pounce on her unsuspecting prey.

Silence, and then, "Is that all you're sorry for?"

Ryuzaki heaved an enormous sigh, before scratching the back of his neck in a guilty manner. "I'm sorry for leaving without telling you goodbye, and I seriously regret ever causing you any distress, madam. It pains my heart to think that I have caused you such despair, and I beg for you to pardon me for such a serious offense. Please, please forgive me, kind madam, for you are my sun on a cloudy day, and without your charming smile lighting up my life, I would surely rot all alone with nobody to keep me company."

Now, who could not smile at that? Slowly but surely, a grin found its way onto Cece's face, before she let out a quiet chuckle, which grew into a full blown laugh. She bet she looked quite deranged (although in a very good way). Even L started to chuckle quite a bit (hey, wasn't laughter infectious?).

Cece's face suddenly turned serious again. "Don't ever. leave. without. a. note. again," she said, enunciating each word with a hard jab to Ryuzaki's ribs.

"When I signed up to be your friend, I didn't think you'd be so needy," L said with a wince as she jabbed him again.

Cece rounded on him with wide eyes and hands on hips, something strikingly similar to what Ryuzaki saw on television. "_Needy_? I'm not needy!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not," but this time, Cece could not resist laughing.

A grim expression made its way across the detective's features. "But on a serious note, Cece, I am going to Japan to involve myself in the Kira case. It has come into the spotlight globally, and countries are sending delegates and representatives to Japan to have a hearing on what should be done about the issue at hand. The case is turning out to be too big to ignore, and the police agencies in any of the countries have not yet found any leads at all."

The grin faded from Cece's face, to be replaced with a frown. "When?"

"Next Tuesday."

"I'm coming."

Ryuzaki was taken aback. "No, you're not. It's too dangerous."

"Which is precisely the reason why I need to come with you."

"I can take care of myself, Cece. This is not the first time I've been involved in a possibly dangerous case."

"I don't care, I'm still going with you and Watari."

"No, you're not, Cece!"

Cece was momentarily surprised at the steel in Ryuzaki's voice, before she quickly became angry, "Why won't you let me go?"

"Because it's too dangerous, Cece! You've never been on a trip to solve a case, you don't know how it works, you don't know about this stuff! It's a lot more dangerous than just sitting behind a computer all day! You're dealing with real criminals, real people capable of killing you, who won't regret a single thing!"

"But what if you're the one who's the victim this time, Ryuzaki? Have you ever thought of that?"

"Of course I have, Cece, it's part of my profession! I have come to accept that I'm going to die, probably while doing one of my cases, but that doesn't mean that you have to either! Being a detective is my dream, yes, but it entails a lot more than just solving petty crimes and catching criminals. You're throwing yourself out into the world, something that I don't want for you to do!"

Cece was practically yelling at the top of her voice as she threw accusation after accusation at Ryuzaki. "Then why are you letting so many people learn at Whammy's? If you don't want them to be detectives, don't want them to 'throw themselves out into the world' as you so eloquently put, why not kick them out? Why not kick me out, huh, L?"  
>For a moment, Ryuzaki was speechless. "You can't go, Cece."<p>

"Have you put yourself in my shoes, L? Have you thought about how worried I would be if you go alone? Do you know how worried I was when you were only gone for two weeks? I couldn't do anything, L! And now you're going to solve the Kira case? What if you're there for a year? For two? For three? What about me? Who's going to keep me company? Who's going to care about me, and make me happy when I'm upset?"

"Cece, you still have Matt and Mello!"

"They're not you, L! People can't replace people, you of all people should understand that!" L flinched at the low blow, but Cece could not restrain herself. "What if I was the one who was going out to solve the case? How would you feel? Perfectly happy, not worried at all? Would you care if I left?"

"Of course I would care."

"Exactly, L!"

"It doesn't matter, Cece! You're still not going!"

"Damn it L, what do you want me to say? What if you don't come back?"

The silence hung heavy between them, as Cece glared vehemently at the detective glaring right back at her. "Get out of my room," she hissed. After glaring at her for a few more seconds, Ryuzaki walked slowly to the door. But as he left, he turned back to her to say one last thing- "I'm sorry, Cece, but you can't." The tenderness in his voice surprised Cece, and her anger seemed to dissipate, frustration taking its place as Ryuzaki turned and walked away. She was right back where she started. She had made no progress at all.

She felt empty again.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Yes, I do think that some of you readers will be perhaps a bit frustrated with Cece's temper tantrums, but try putting yourself in her shoes. And let's not forget, she's still only a teenager, maybe on the brink of "young adult," and you know how teenagers are!<strong>

**Thanks for reading, and please review (:**


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